What to Expect During a First Appointment

Making your first visit to a divorce or family lawyer can be one of the most traumatic experiences you ever have. Mr. Lewis understands the anxiety you are feeling, and will greet you with a sensitive, caring, but professional approach to your case. While we cannot eliminate the stress, we will do our best to manage and minimize the anxiety to the extent we can.

You want to make your initial appointment as productive as possible. If you are a Defendant and have already been served with papers by the opposing party, it is helpful if, prior to your appointment, you fax those papers to Mr. Lewis. You should also bring with you the following financial information:

1. Your most recent federal and state tax returns, including W-2 forms
2. Tax information on any business owned and operated by you or the opposing party
3. Your current paystub
4. A current paystub from the other party, if available
5. If you or the other party owns real property, the tax assessment, and a professional appraisal, if available
6. Documentation of the current principle balance and monthly payments on any mortgage or equity line
7. Year, make, model and trim level, (LE, SE, EX, etc) and current odometer reading of all vehicles owned by anyone in the family
8. Current principle balance and monthly payments on vehicle loans on any vehicles owned by either you, the other party, or both
9. Current statements for any accounts you, the opposing party, or both may have, including checking, savings, brokerage, individually held stocks or bonds, 401k, profit sharing, pensions
10. Current statements for any debt not addressed above, such as credit cards, student loans, or personal loans owed to either party’s family.

Please also be prepared to discuss whether you or your spouse still have property of any kind that was owned before marriage, inherited during the marriage, or a gift from someone other than the spouse.

During the meeting, you will also go over why you are here, what sad or unfortunate turn of events brought you to the point of needing help.This may involve some deeply personal conversation. But, please share everything that relates to why you are here. Mr. Lewis cannot best evaluate your case without being fully informed.

After obtaining all the relevant information, Mr. Lewis will attempt to analyze your case, and offer at least the outline of a strategy. If child support is an issue, you will be given Maryland state guidelines telling you how much child support you can expect to pay or receive.

You will also have a candid discussion of the fees Mr. Lewis will charge. He cannot give you a quote for what your case will cost, because the fees will depend upon the issues being contested and the level of acrimony, which will be difficult if not impossible to assess in the first meeting. Mr. Lewis will quote a retainer and give his best estimate of the range your case is likely to cost, so you can make an intelligent decision. For your convenience, MasterCard and Visa are accepted.