The First Appointment

Meeting Your Jackson Family Law Attorney

In your first appointment with an attorney at Chinn & Associates, we will meet with you to discuss and evaluate the following key factors:

• What are the reasons for the divorce?
• Is there provable fault by either party?
• How has child rearing been accomplished thus far, and what is the likely outcome pertaining to custody?
• What is the financial impact of this divorce? How would assets be divided? How would each spouse survive when the marriage is legally over?
• What are you hoping to achieve in the long term?

As a part of this process, the attorney will advise you on the basics of the laws related to divorce proceedings, child custody, property division, child support, and spousal support. At the conclusion of the assessment, the attorney should provide alternative courses of action and perhaps make a recommendation.

What Should I Bring?

There are several items you can bring to help us provide a more accurate assessment and immediate help at your first appointment:

• Any relevant court documents, if there has been a court filing.
• Financial documents, including: bank statements, latest pay stubs, financial statements from lenders, other account statements, tax returns for the past three years, and your Social Security earning history.
• A basic timeline of events related to your divorce or separation.
• Proof of fault, if applicable, such as phone records, photographs, letters, videos, etc. that can establish fault in a grounds-based divorce.
• Payment, in situations where you need to keep your partner from knowing that you have sought legal help. Arranging a method of payment, such as cash or an account that your partner does not have access to, that will not be immediately detected may be helpful if you need to keep this information from your partner.

Ready to set an appointment with a lawyer who will fight to protect your interests? Call (601) 202-5594 now!