Family Lawyer Interview Preparation Guide

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Get an idea from the Massachusetts divorce lawyer how specifically they will help resolve your case. Will they promote settlement? Is there discovery and information you need to obtain?

Massachusetts is an “equitable distribution” state, which means that property and debts are fairly divided between the parties. There are several important statutes that discuss equitable division, the most important being M.G.L. c. 208, Section 34.

Consider picking achievements that best demonstrate attributes firms are looking for.

I feel the most important qualities for a sucessful legal assistant is to be able to be dilligent and be a great researcher.I feel that you must also be able to look at a problem from many different angles so you can see many diffrent alternatives.

Number one is definitely the atmosphere, I believe its important for the work environment to be positive and influential. Another is room for growth.

The main components of a case file and steps are to File a case Summarize the case Collect and organize materials for the case Research the law regarding this situation Schedule and speak with witnesses and all involved Team reviews the case.

I know that everything in the legal field is confidential. I would never tell anyone about the details that I deal with or see at work other than coworkers who already know.

Yes, I believe my ability to prioritize my work and stay organized help me to do that.

Some Massachusetts lawyers practice in more than one area of law. While this does not mean they are not effective advocates, it is very difficult to have a complete knowledge base of more than one area of law. Be careful of a divorce lawyer that practices in multiple areas of law, such as personal injury, estate planning, and so forth.

Different divorce lawyers require different retainer deposits for their services. Retainer deposits are money that is placed into a client trust account (called an IOLTA), and when the attorney earns those funds he or she can place them into their own business account. The retainer deposit may or may not cover the entire cost of a case. Be careful of an attorney that requires a very low retainer deposit – if the deposit seems low to you, your instincts are probably right. Look for an honest, straightforward discussion about the overall cost of your case.

When you begin asking the divorce attorney specific questions about how child custody, child support and alimony may be applicable in your case, you will get a solid feeling whether or not the divorce lawyer is experienced in these areas. The lawyer should be able to answer all of your questions in a straightforward manner.

Try and frame discussion of your weaknesses in a positive way, perhaps showing how you’re working to strengthen your abilities in these areas.

You can especially expect this question if you studied another degree before doing law.

What are your long-term career goals? Firms invest a lot of time in training and mentoring their clerks and grads. They want to know that you’re going to stick around!

I triple read everything and, if I can, I will have someone else read it over. If I need to know spellings or layouts of anything, I'll go to a credible source and check my work against that example.

I can contribute because I am a fast worker, and accurate. Any and all work that is needed to be done will be done by or before the deadline needed. I can help with any other department or employee if they need a hand with their workload. Since I am a fast learner, once I know what I am doing I will ask little amount of questions.

Yes and No. I feel that majority can show you that I was a good student but some not so much because you learn once you make a mistake and you don't get the chance to redo, only not do it next time so you still got the mark for doing it wrong although you now know how to do it write.

Maths. It has a set of formula, but you have many ways to answer the question.

It is important to know where your case will be handled, and if the attorney has handled cases in that particular courthouse. For example, residents of Dartmouth seeking a Dartmouth divorce lawyer, or residents of Attleboro seeking an Attleboro divorce lawyer, should know that the case is handled in Bristol County, Massachusetts.

Different attorneys charge different hourly rates, depending on their level of experience. All attorneys also charge for their staff’s time to work on your case. Get an honest assessment of the attorney’s billing practices. Also ask whether the attorney sends bills to you. Our firm, for example, sends two itemized bills every month so our clients always know exactly what is going on and what we’ve done on their case.

Focus on your strengths that best correspond with some of the key attributes needed for the role.

It’s not a bad thing if you do, especially if that further study relates to law or business.

I have studied law so with that knowledge I can contribute my knowledge for the growth of this firm.

☛ 1. Do you specialize in divorces, or are divorces just a part of your practice? How long have you been practicing family law? How many family law cases have you handled? Are you a "certified family law specialist?"
☛ 2. What is your strategy for my case? How long will it take to resolve my case?
☛ 3. How long do you take to return phone calls? How do I get a hold of you if there is an emergency? What do you consider to be an emergency?
☛ 4. Will anyone else in your office be working on my case? What experience do they have? Can I meet them?
☛ 5. How will you charge me? What is your hourly rate? Do you charge for the time I spend with other lawyers, with paralegals, and/or with secretaries? If so, at what rate? What is your retainer up front?
☛ 6. What costs (other than your own) do you expect will be involved (for example, for private investigators, forensic accountants, physicians, and/or psychologists), and how will you charge me for them?
☛ 7. What's your estimate of the total cost of this divorce? (Do not be alarmed that most divorce attorneys will resist answering this question as the cost of the divorce depends greatly upon the level of conflict in your case. However, the way attorneys answer this question may help you size them up. An honest attorney will often answer that it is difficult to estimate the costs in advance. An attorney that gives you an unrealistically low amount may just be trying to get your business).
☛ 8. Do you allow me to negotiate directly with my spouse? How can I keep the cost of my divorce down? Are there tasks that I can do myself to cut down on the amount you will charge me?
☛ 9. Based on what you know about my case, how would you predict a judge would rule on it?
☛ 10. What can you do to help me understand the tax effect of the decisions I will have to make?

☛ Why do you want to practice law?

☛ Tell us about a time you exhibited independence in your work?

☛ Why did you choose to study [insert subject]?

☛ What was your favourite subject?

☛ Why are you interested in the work that our firm does?

☛ How is our firm distinguished from others?

☛ What current news issues are you following?

☛ What can you bring to the firm?

☛ Why did you leave your previous job?

☛ What do you like to do in your spare time?

☛ What three words would sum you up?

☛ What brought you to law as opposed to commerce or elsewhere?

☛ Who is a role model in your life?

☛ What do you hope to get out of a clerkship at our firm?

☛ What if my morals conflicted with work I was asked to do?

☛ What stands out to you about this firm?

☛ What are your best three and worst three qualities?

☛ Why do you want to work at this firm over another firms? Have you applied to other firms?

☛ Describe a time when you came up with an innovative solution to a problem

☛ What are the cases that our firm worked on that you find particularly interesting?