|
At the Rathel Law Group we
handle both contested and uncontested divorces, as well as
all matters relating to family law. Mr. Rathel is both
a former mediator and prosecutor who has the experience and
qualifications to assist you in your family law case.
Protecting your rights and that of your family will be our
top priority.
We handle the following
matters:
| Divorce |
Custody |
Child Support |
| Alimony |
Modification |
Paternity |
| Dependency |
Property Settlements |
Dispute Resolution |
| Restraining Orders |
Support Enforcement |
Injunctions |
At the Rathel Law Group
you will receive the personalized attention that you
deserve. We have provided you with attorney Michael Rathel's private cell phone number so that you can get a
hold of him with your questions at anytime.
Article written by Michael
Rathel of, The Rathel Law Group
Deciding which attorney you
should use in your divorce is a difficult decision.
I would encourage each and every person
contemplating the hiring of a divorce or family law
attorney in the Orlando, Florida area to look
carefully at several factors before making their
decision. The decision of who to hire could greatly
affect the outcome of your case and make the overall
journey through the divorce process more
productive. The following factors should be taken
into account: 1. how many years experience does the
attorney have? 2. Does the attorney primarily
practice family law? 3. How easily accessible is
your attorney? 4. Do you have a clear understanding
of how much the attorney is going to charge you? 5.
Did a prior client refer you to that attorney? Are
you comfortable with that lawyer? I will talk about
all of these factors which in my opinion will allow
you to improve your chances of hiring the best
attorney for your particular needs.
How many years experience does
the attorney have? Does the attorney primarily
practice family law?
Many clients come to me and
hire my services after already hiring a previous
attorney. Often times they tell me that they found
out that the attorney they initially hired
specialized in personal injury or criminal defense
and took their family law case on without fully
understanding on how to assist them in the
appropriate manner. Choosing an attorney who is
well versed in the issues surrounding divorce and
family law is critical to the quality of legal
service that you receive. This can be easily
ascertained in part by simply asking the question of
“how many years has the attorney practiced family
law and how many cases have they handled?” If the
answer is “I handled my sister’s divorce” than you
should probably think long and hard about being the
practice case for an attorney who has little to no
experience. I know many lawyers who are great
personal injury lawyers or criminal defense lawyers
but know very little about what goes into helping
someone through the divorce process. Many people
think that any attorney can help them with a divorce
and this could be a major mistake since there are
many issues surrounding a divorce case that require
an experienced lawyer in which to handle. Make sure
you ask the right questions first! “How many years
experience do you have? Do you primarily practice
family law?”
How easily accessible is your
attorney?
Prior to my becoming a lawyer, my wife and I hired a
lawyer to assist us in our own personal legal
matter. Once we retained the lawyer we were never
able to get in touch with him and it seemed like the
only people we were allowed to speak with was the
lawyer’s support staff. Hiring a lawyer who is easy
to contact is very important to the success of the
divorce process. Make sure that you have all of the
lawyer’s contact information and clarify what type
of communication will be allowed once you hire the
lawyer. I currently give out my cell phone number
to all of my clients for emergencies in order to
keep an open line of communication with my
clients.
How much is the lawyer going to
charge?
It is important to make sure
you have a signed contract with the person you
choose to be your lawyer. Make sure that contract
clarifies who will be responsible for the filing
fees, costs associated with the case and the
lawyer’s and support staff’s hourly rates. If your
lawyer offers a flat fee service make sure that the
contract clearly states what that flat fee will or
will not cover, and whether supplemental services
like filing fees and additional costs are included,
or if they are an additional sum that you must plan
for. It is important to understand that if you
cannot continue to pay your lawyer than most likely
that lawyer will withdraw from your case. That
means it is very important for you to determine in
advance whether or not you can afford the legal
services being offered for the divorce or family law
case by that particular lawyer. If you cannot
continue to pay and the lawyer withdraws from your
case, in most cases you will not receive a refund
because a lawyer sells his/her time and that time
has already been used. It is a horrible experience
to get 75% of the way through your case simply to
have the lawyer withdraw and you lose all of your
money and all of that time.
Did a prior client refer you to
that Lawyer?
It has been my experience that
I get the best services when a friend or colleague
of mine tells me how good a particular product or
service was when they used it. Referrals are a
wonderful way to find out about a lawyer especially
if they are a prior client of that lawyer or a
relative of the prior client. Ask your friends,
“What was it like to work with that lawyer? Did the
lawyer treat you with respect? Did the lawyer
return your phone calls? Did you have to pay more
than the contract stated? What was the outcome of
your case?”
Are You Comfortable with the
Lawyer?
This is a tough one because being comfortable with a
lawyer is one thing, but finding a lawyer that
you’re comfortable with and meets all of the
above requirements is the hard part. But it is
important that you get along with the lawyer and
feel comfortable with them. You don’t have to be
friends with the lawyer but understanding where they
are coming from and being comfortable is very
important. If you don’t feel comfortable with a
specific lawyer, keep looking. I meet potential
clients all of the time that I don’t feel that I can
work with, and I tell them that I think it would be
in their best interest for them to hire another
lawyer and I often refer them to a colleague that
would be a better fit. If I can turn away paying
business, then feel comfortable in knowing that you
should also find the right lawyer who will
adequately represent your best interest.
Call Now
24/7
and speak with Orlando attorney Michael Rathel, (407) 808-3269 cell.
|
