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Attorney Alex Anderson is a divorce and child custody attorney at The Law Firm of Alexander K. Anderson in Rockville, Maryland. He has been an attorney for 10 years

Some of his answers may best apply to Maryland law — your state may be different. His answers are intended to be informative about best practices, and not intended to be legal advice, you should consult an attorney in your state about your case specifically.

Q: How do I know when it’s time to hire a divorce attorney?

This is a question I get asked frequently in consultation and the answer is always the sooner the better. There’s an old lawyer adage that says, “It’s always cheaper to hire a lawyer in the first place than it is to hire one to fix things.”

Everyone’s situation is different, but there’s no harm in at least getting a consultation to get preliminary information as soon as possible. Typically, there’s some kind of catalyst — whether it’s asking for a separation agreement, withdrawing money from a bank account, or even access to a child being withheld — after the information-gathering process and that’s when it’s important to have someone who has a strategic plan in place.

Q: How do I find the right divorce attorney for me?

I think when you’re doing your consultations, it’s important to find an attorney who is going to give you all the information, even when it’s not necessarily something you want to hear. You need all the information so that you can make an informed decision about your life, so that’s first and foremost.

You also need someone who’s going to work with you to focus on what it is that you want. Lots of people may want different things in a divorce — such as a house, the cars, a certain amount of money — so it’s important to get an attorney who is going to work with you on a strategy to execute on your goals. It might not always be possible to get everything you want, but you should be able to work together to come up with a plan to try and get you as close to those goals as possible.