12 Questions To Ask Your Potential Child Custody Client
Initial consultations are crucial to figuring out whether you're a good fit to represent a potential custody client.
Family law custody attorneys need to examine all angles of a case. Beyond the basics of the case, the following questions will help you understand your potential custody client's situation.
On a scale of 1-10, how committed are you to settling?
Whether your potential client is open to settlement will help you determine the best way to approach the case, gauge how much work will be required of you and set the right fee structure.
If they have concerns about negotiating, suggest collaborative law if you have collaborative divorce training.
What's your biggest concern?
Find out the most pressing matters so you'll know what you need to prioritize in the case and whether you have the experience to help. Issues that intersect with custody — like a child with medical issues, a parent in the military and family violence — will require extra attention.
How can I best represent you?
Parents will come to you at different points in their custody journey. Some will require guidance throughout the entire process, while others may only want limited representation. They might need an aggressive trial attorney or someone with a gentler approach.
Figure out exactly what your client needs from you as a custody attorney to establish the most helpful dynamic.
What's your current custody arrangement?
Inquire about the custody arrangement they have now and how it is working. From there, you can decide which changes you need to propose.
Also, find out what they have that could serve as documentation of the custody situation. In particular, custody clients who are estranged from their children will need help proving they've tried to get involved.
What's your current living situation?
The judge will want to know the child has a safe environment to live in. Ask your potential custody client about:
- Others living in their household
- Where their child sleeps
- The safety of the neighborhood
- The school district
- How far away they live from the other parent
What's your work schedule?
The judge will examine your client's work schedules to ensure each parent has time to care for the child and set a routine. Knowing your client's availability, as well as their child's daycare, school and extracurricular schedules, will help you figure out a strong schedule proposal. Plus, you'll know when to schedule meetings and court dates.
Do you have court orders about your child?
Get information about any past court involvement. Custody, restraining, child protection and other family law orders can inform the judge's decision. Figure out the circumstances that led to the order and what has changed.
What are your parenting strengths?
Identifying your potential client's strengths will help you prove their parental fitness in court. Ask what type of evidence they can gather (e.g., character reference letters).
How does your social media look?
A social media feed filled with insults toward the other parent and other inappropriate content can harm a parent's chances for custody. You'll want to review your potential client's activity before going forward.
Do you save your conversations with the other parent?
An important piece of advice to give a new custody client is to save any correspondence with the other parent. Texts, emails and other written communication paint a picture of the relationship between parents and their ability to co-parent. Are they able to interact civilly? Do they regularly communicate about parenting matters? This will influence the type of custody your client should seek.
Do you have a parenting plan?
Review your potential custody client's parenting plan to check if it satisfies your state's criteria for the child's best interests. You're likely to find room for improvement in any plan a parenting has prepared themself.
Are you using a co-parenting app?
Managing all the moving parts of a custody case requires organization from the lawyer and the client. Convince your client to use a co-parenting app so things run smoothly.
With a parenting plan template, custody calendars, a parenting journal, parent-to-parent messaging and more, Custody X Change helps parents document their current co-parenting situation and plan for the future.
As a professional, you can link accounts with your custody clients for easy collaboration. You can invite other lawyers in your firm to keep all your custody clients in one spot.
Custody X Change simplifies child custody cases for lawyers and their clients.