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- Office Directions
- Annette Burns' office is located at 2600 North Central, Suite 900, Phoenix. This is the Northwest corner of Central and Virginia Avenues in downtown Phoenix.
- What should I bring to my first appointment with a divorce or family law attorney?
- If you have some or all of the following documents and information at your first appointment, it will be very helpful to your initial discussions with an attorney.
- any divorce paperwork that you were already served with; OR, if you are already divorced, a copy of your final Divorce Decree, Property Settlement Agreement, and Custody Agreement or Parenting Plan.
- your last 3 years' income tax returns, and your most recent year's W-2 form, if your return is not yet filed.
- paystubs for both parties showing year-to-date income and deductions.
- mortgage statement on all home mortgages showing current balances due, and the amount of the monthly mortgage payment.
- most recent statements on IRA's, 401-K and retirement plans.
- list of credit cards with balances.
- list of bank accounts.
- evidence of day care expenses, and the cost of the health insurance premium for your children's and your family's coverage.
- your spouse's social security number.
- How can I get referrals to good family law lawyers?
- The State Bar of Arizona maintains a list of Certified Family Law Specialists. These are lawyers who have demonstrated a certain level of expertise, knowledge, and experience in family law matters, who have passed examinations on family law issues, and who have characteristics deemed important in family law matters, such as knowledge of the law, courtroom experience, a recognition of the best interests of children, and an ability to settle cases without adding to animosity between the parties.
The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) is a national group of family law attorneys who have the stated goal of "encourag(ing) the study, improve the practice,elevate the standards and advance the cause of matrimonial law, to the end that the welfare of the family and society be protected." To qualify for membership, attorneys must be recognized by the bench and bar in his or her jurisdiction as an expert practitioner inmatrimonial law. You can find a list of American Academy Fellows in all states at www.aaml.org, under the "Fellow Directory."
Friends who have gone through a divorce in your area and were happy with their own attorneys are good sources for referrals. Sometimes, friends will refer you to their ex-spouse's attorney who they thought did a good job for the former spouse.
- How can I decide on the right family law attorney for me?
- According to attorney Melvin Belli in his book "Divorcing," the characteristics of a good divorce lawyer include:
- He or she must be both sensitive and objective.
- The lawyer will be straightforward with you about what you will be charged for, how you'll be billed, and at what rates, so that there won't be any surprises later on.
- Your lawyer will not intimidate you with legal jargon.
- The lawyer will be listening for the questions you're afraid to ask for fear of being thought naive or stupid, and will elicit those questions from you in a nonthreatening way.
- The lawyer will not promise you the world and will work to minimize your costs by avoiding unnecessary court battles. Beware of barracuda lawyers who fan adversarial flames.
- The lawyer will communicate with you frequently, so you don't feel your case is being neglected or placed on a back burner.
- The lawyer will have a general familiarity with the divorce law of your state, and considerable experience with how that law is procedurally applied by the county court in which your divorce is generally processed.
- Finally, the lawyer will be sensitive to minimizing your legal costs by encouraging the use of nonlegal procedures such as mediation and where possible, face to face and private meetings between you and your spouse to resolve those issues capable of being resolved by the two of you.
Most of all, go with your instincts. If you don't feel comfortable with a particular person or the things he or she is telling you, that's probably a good sign that this lawyer is not a good fit for you.
- Why are lawyers' fees so high?
- Lawyers' hourly fees can sound ridiculously high, especially for divorce cases. The sad fact is, even at these rates ($250-$375 per hour is an average present range in Maricopa County) most highly skilled family law attorneys are as busy as they want to be---or busier.
The costs of operating a family law practice and office are high, and those costs come out of the hourly fee. Computers, technology, office space, experienced and sympathetic staff, and malpractice insurance coverage don't come cheap. The best attorneys will spend hundreds or thousands of dollars a year in Continuing Legal Education (CLE) to keep up the latest law, procedures, research and technology to serve clients. And most family law attorneys donate an incredible amount of pro bono work for children, the indigent, and the court system.
The bottom line is, hourly rates are market-driven, and unfortunately, the demand for family law attorneys remains high. The parties can keep their attorneys' fees as low as possible by mediating, settling, cooperating and compromising, and by trying to resolve the smaller issues (division of the furniture for example) without their attorneys' involvement. Hiring a counselor, therapist or coach to deal with the emotional aspect of the divorce and the anger will also save money.
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