Are Divorce Lawyer Consultations Free?

 Out of every profession out there, lawyers probably face the most grief. They’re colloquially the butt end of many jokes, and most people assume that a lawyer’s number-one priority is to fleece you coming and going. From the initial consultation to the random charges that appear on a bill, the average person thinks of lawyers as rip-off artists. Is this actually the case?

 The field of law, even divorce law, has this dark cloud around it due to the types of lawyers who chase after insurance companies every time someone falls down in a store because they want to strike it rich. This has tainted a lot of the field, but the truth is that there are plenty of lawyers out there who offer fair rates and do this job to help people. This is why you can find quite a few different law firms offering potential clients a free consultation.

Reputable Lawyers and Free Consultations

 The field of divorce law seems to be relatively split when it comes to offering up free consultations. Generally speaking, the more reputable the firm is, the more likely they are to offer up free consultations. However, it’s not a 1:1 thing here. There are also a lot of firms that cannot offer up free consults simply because they cannot afford to do it. It doesn’t make them any less effective at helping you get through a divorce, but it does hinder their ability to attract clients who might consider the “best” available.

Why the Best Lawyers Offer Free Consultations

They Want You as a Client

 The first reason is sort of obvious: They want you as a client. It’s how they pay their bills. It’s how they hire other lawyers, paralegals, and sometimes detectives. It’s how they get all their materials. If they don’t hire clients who pay them, then they don’t exist. Make no mistake about it; a free consultation is definitely a tool that gets potential clients in the door and helps to convert them to paying clients.

They Want a Relationship

 A good lawyer wants an actual working relationship with you. You will spend quite a bit of time with this lawyer, and he or she is going to learn some very intimate details about you and your personal life; perhaps, some seriously embarrassing stuff. The lawyer wants you to feel comfortable with them, and not as if they’re only willing to speak to you if you have money to hand over to them.

They Want You Aware

 Lawyers are going to take their time to explain to you what you’re in for. They’re going to lay out the road for you, and they don’t necessarily need to bill you to hear this. They’re confident that after you hear their expertise on the subject and after they tell you how they’re going to work for you, you will be more than willing to sign an agreement to retain their services. It’s a risk-reward type of thing in many respects.

They Want to Practice Law

 While some people certainly do get into law for the money, they mostly end up as those “ambulance chasers” you hear so much about who want to get million-dollar settlements for clients and get their slice. Lawyers who get into family law often don’t make as much as other lawyers, and they have to see some pretty sad stuff with families being torn apart often. What a good divorce lawyer wants to do is practice the law and help. It might sound cliché, but there are all sorts of other types of law to practice if their interest was just making a bunch of money.

 Most of the best lawyers around are going to offer a free consultation for a variety of reasons. Some do not, however, because they’re smaller, local practices and cannot afford to hand over so much of their time for free. It shouldn’t be a deal-breaker if they don’t offer a free consultation, however. You should look for the best overall lawyer, not just the cheapest.