If you are on this website you are probably trying to spend more time with your child or children. There are many different arrangements that the court can decide is fair for everyone involved and is in the best interest of the child or children. Sole legal custody, joint legal custody, primary physical custody, and shared physical custody are some terms you may have heard. Sole legal custody is when one parents has all the authority to make educational and medical decisions. Joint legal custody is when both parents make educational and medical decisions together. Primary physical custody denoted when the child lives primarily with one parent. Shared physical custody is when the child spends roughly equal time with each parent. These decisions are medical or educational as well as who is responsible for paying for certain things. The court takes several things into consideration when making these arrangements. Some of the factors are what is in the best interest of the child or children, what is fair for the parties involved, and who has been taking care of the child or children before the court hearing. What is most important to the court is the safety and wellbeing of the child or children and not unjustly keeping a parent away from their child or children. That being said, sometimes a parent or guardian can be misrepresented in court and get a judgment that is not fair or not in the best interest of the child. Circumstances can also change. For example, a parent or guardian can start to make enough money to have proper living standards to provide for the child. In these cases, if you want to change a ruling by the court, it is important to prove this to the court whether by yourself or with the help a good child custody lawyer. Having a good child custody lawyer will help you show the court what you think is fair, and assist you in doing the things that the court sees as taking good care of the child or children as well as good faith efforts to co-operate with the other parent.

Choosing a good child custody lawyer for yourself can be a difficult task. You will need a good lawyer, who handles your kind of case, who fits your budget, who communicates well with you, and practices in your state and county. That may sound like alot but this article will help you find all of those things and there is a check list at the end to help in your important search for a great child custody lawyer. Bryon Szojchet Esquire practices in these Maryland counties: Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County, Harford County, Howard County, and Montgomery County.

Now lets sort out all of the things you will need.

See If The Lawyer Fits Your Budget

It is important to consider what the fees are, what the retainer is, and if they offer payment

arrangements or financing. Prices will not be listed on lawyer websites. You will have to schedule a consultation to find out pricing for lawyers. You should take some time to figure out how much you can afford and how much you want to spend on a lawyer before making any calls. There are several law groups that offer free services to people who qualify.

Check The Lawyer’s Reviews

After figuring out your budget, you need to be sure that you are calling a good lawyer and that they will represent you fairly in court. Before you even make a call to the lawyer you should first look at their online reviews. Reviews show how people that have used the lawyer felt about how their cases were handled. The easiest way to check reviews is to Google the name of the law firm and see the reviews on the business profile. Having four or five stars is a good sign that it is a law firm that does a good job for its clients. You will also want to look at the number of reviews to see if the firm is new or if they have a long track record of professional service.

Make Sure The Lawyer Handles Your Type of Case

Before calling the law firm you should check the website to make sure that they handle your

kind of case and that they provide service in the state and county that your case is in. This information should be easy to find on the website at the top of the page or in the first paragraph.

Call The Attorney To Book A Consultation

        Now that you have found a lawyer that has good reviews and services your specific kind of case and practices in your county, you are ready to call. The call with the lawyer before you sign up is called a consultation. Many lawyers, though not all, offer free consultations. Bryon Szojchet Esquire offers free consultations.

Things to Look For During Your Consultation

At the consultation you can find out what the lawyer’s fees are, but there are other things you

will want to look for as well. A consultation is both a time to ask your questions and to interview the lawyer. A good lawyer will ask many questions about your case, and be able to tell you what legal arguments you have and what the court process will look like for you. If the lawyer is very vague, does not answer your questions, or tries to rush you to sign up before giving you all the information you need, that is a very bad sign and you should find another law firm to represent you. Child custody cases are more than just filing papers and you will want a lawyer who helps you do the things that the court considers when making decisions. During the consultation, the lawyer should tell you about what you can do to make your case stronger. You also want to make sure that you can easily communicate with the lawyer. If the lawyer does this during the consultation it is a good sign that they care about the result of your case and will help you get what you are hoping for. This may seem like a lot of work but it is worth it to take the time to find a good lawyer and it will pay off in the long run for you and your child or children.

Finding a Child Custody Lawyer Check List

• Set a budget that you can afford (upfront, monthly and in total)

• Check that the lawyer handles your kind of case (on the website)

• Check that the lawyer practices in your county (on the website)

• Check reviews (google or elsewhere)

• Schedule consultation

• Ask yourself if the lawyer answered all of your questions, communicated well with you and made you feel confident about your case during the consultation.

A consultation is a call or meeting with the lawyer to find out information you need, what the lawyer costs and to see if the lawyer is a good fit for you. You should have a budget that you can afford in mind before calling. Also, if you already have a court hearing date scheduled, you should let the lawyer know the date of the hearing during the consultation. Free consultations are offered by many law firms. There should be clear instructions on the law firm’s website on how to schedule a consultation, usually by calling and scheduling a time or filling out a form on the website. Bryon Szojchet Esquire offers free consultations, and you can schedule a free consultation by calling our office during business hours or after business hours and leaving a message. You can also schedule a free consultation by filling out the contact form on the contact page. At a free consultation with Bryon Szojchet Esquire you can ask all the questions you have about child custody.

        You may be wondering what to expect in a consultation. A consultation is a time to ask all the questions you want to know about the court process and the laws as well as information about the lawyer you are talking to. It is also a chance for you to interview the lawyer to see if you communicate well with them and if they make you feel comfortable. At a consultation you find out what the fees are for the lawyer and what the payment structure is. A good lawyer will be patient and give you all the information you need. You should not feel rushed if you have a lot of questions that take a lot of time as consultations are a scheduled part of the lawyers day.

How To Prepare For a Consultation

        To prepare for a consultation you should make sure you are in a private place that is quiet and that you have enough time to get everything you need out of the conversation. You should have a budget in mind that you are able to afford. If you have a court hearing scheduled, you should let the lawyer know about the court hearing date because the lawyer will need to check if they are available on that day.

Here is a check list that you should have before scheduling a consultation.

• A budget that you can afford upfront, monthly, and in total how much you want to spend on your lawyer.

• What you hope to achieve in your case.

• A quiet and private place to talk.

• An hour of time.

• Court dates (if you have any already scheduled)

• A list of questions that you want to ask the lawyer.

• Remind yourself that a consultation is your chance to interview the lawyer and not to be scared if you don't feel confident with the lawyer you are talking to you can find another.