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What to Expect From Your First Meeting With Your Divorce Lawyer

After you’ve retained an attorney for your divorce, you’ll sign an agreement that outlines all of the responsibilities and expectations for each party. This retainer contract will include billing and costs, as well as information about who specifically will work on your case. In some cases paralegals and administrative staff might handle certain aspects, in other cases a lawyer might handle your needs directly.

Once you’ve got this paperwork taken care of, you’ll schedule your first meeting. This is not to be confused with a consultation, which is basically a meet and greet in which you’re gauging your comfort level with the firm. This is when you get down to the nuts and bolts of your case and actually begin working through your divorce issues.

So what can you expect out of this meeting? This depends on what’s going on with your case.

An overview of the first meeting

The initial meeting with your attorney is a good opportunity to ask general questions you have about your upcoming divorce. Your attorney will describe the processes available and the steps for each, and you can determine what seems to be the best route forward.

The first meeting also allows you and your attorney to get to know each other a bit better. Your attorney will ask about you, your spouse and your children. They will probably request you fill out a detailed client information sheet that includes all the information they need about your relationship and the issues that are likely to play a role in your divorce. Depending on those issues, they might offer referrals to third-party professionals, such as therapists, estate attorneys or financial planners.

The meeting is protected by attorney-client privilege, so anything you tell your attorney in this session is private. You do not need to worry about your spouse finding out the contents of the meeting.

For more information about what to expect from your first meeting, contact an experienced Minnesota divorce lawyer at Appelhof, Pfeifer & Hart, P.A.

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Client testimonials
  • "Tori had a thorough understanding of my situation and made excellent recommendations to resolve my concerns. She was persistent on communication and handled everything in a very timely manner. I would definitely hire her again in the future if needed." - M.K.

  • "With Appelhof, Pfeifer & Hart, P.A., it is like having a family physician. They are all knowledgeable, thorough, comforting, and the only call I need to make for all my legal needs for many years to come. No matter what the matter, I totally trust their advice and commitment to me and my family." - J.N.

  • "Mary from APH Law helped me thru a difficult divorce. She and the entire staff was there for me every step of the way helping me on what to do next. They listened to what I wanted and helped me achieve what matter the most to me in the divorce settlement." - Dana C.

  • "I chose APH after my initial consultation with Mary. I felt my best interest would be represented. The entire process went excellent, the attorneys and staff communicated effectively and efficiently with me throughout the process as they needed to. Being new to the legal process and verbiage, they walked me and talked me through the next steps and the jargon, I felt completely comfortable and represented. I hope I never have to use legal services again but if I do I will call Mary at APH Law and know that I will be taken care of." - Jeff M.

  • "Divorce is a time of emotion and stress. Mary Pfeifer , My lawyer was professional and compassionate. She was very informative through the process. Her insight helped me in my decisions. She worked hard to obtain a settlement which was fair to both parties. Though, I hope I won't need her help again. It is reassuring to know a good person that is willing to help." - Rod S.

  • "I first came to Ms. Jacquelyn Lutz of Appelhof, Pfeifer and Hart in October of 2016. It was definitely the worst time in my life and she compassionately spoke with me about my options. Ms. Lutz thoroughly explained the laws, statutes, process and what to expect going forward. What was supposed to be one case, turned into three intricate cases that took a huge toll on me and my family. Ms. Lutz represented me in court on all three cases with a vast knowledge of the laws and how to proceed accordingly. During all three cases she kept me informed, calm, gave me resources to utilize, and (most important) gave me a realistic view of what may come next. Ms. Lutz knew each case required a great deal of knowledge and creative thinking on how to legally proceed forward with each case. My family and friends are forever grateful for the amazing representation by Ms. Lutz. I highly recommend Ms. Lutz for anyone needing or considering superb representation for any kind of family law. " - M.H.

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