Divorce Attorney
Divorce is not only an emotional roller coaster for the parties involved, but it is also an extremely complex area of law. Therefore, hiring the right divorce attorney who seems to be someone you can trust and feel comfortable with is absolutely necessary. A great way to find a divorce attorney is to ask for referrals from people, even lawyers, you are already comfortable with or are facing the same problems and dilemmas as you.
Step One: Talk to friends and family. Ask about a divorce attorney they would recommend or avoid. Contact attorneys you have worked with before and felt confident about. Inquire whether or not they handle divorce cases. If they don’t, ask for a referral to someone who does. If you or your spouse will be contesting certain aspects of the divorce, be honest, your divorce attorney will need to know that.
Step Two: Contact your state and county bar associations to determine whether they sponsor lawyer referral programs. If they do, they can refer you to a divorce attorney in your area who is experienced in the type of case you are involved in.
Step Three: Make a list of what you are looking for in a divorce attorney. Do you prefer one gender over the other, a certain age, or someone who will settle quickly or pursue lengthy litigation? Do you prefer a divorce attorney who charges by the hour or a flat rate? Is your case in a seperate county from where the lawyer has their office and will they charge for travel time? These are all important questions to ask your divorce attorney.
Step Four: A divorce attorney may or may not offer free consultations. It might be wise to meet with a few offering a free appointment and get an idea of different approaches they take and what they expect the outcome of your case to be.
Step Five: Find out the answers to the following questions when you meet with any attorney. What will the fee be? What costs will you be expected to pay, such as postage, printing out the discovery, and similar underlying costs. What kind of outcome do they expect? How often will he or she be in contact? Where is your lawyer licensed to practice law? How quickly to they respond to your phone calls? If the attorney is not in the office, is someone else available to handle emergencies and urgent questions.
Step Six: Make an appointment. Look around the office when you are there. Is there a receptionist, are they pleasant? Does the office seem professional, disorganized, overly busy? Is there a steady stream of seemingly unhappy clients?
Step Seven: Find out how experienced your divorce attorney is by asking how many cases they have handled. If children or a large amount of assets are at stake, and there is a potential for disagreement in the distribution of these assets between you and your spouse, it is extremely important that your divorce attorney has experience handling similar cases. In addition, the relationship between your divorce attorney and the judge should also be considered.
Step Eight: If you were not referred to the attorney by someone you know and trust, ask for the names of past and current clients you may call for references. Don’t be afraid of insulting your attorney. You wouldn’t hire a new employee, even a babysitter, without any references, so you shouldn’t have to settle for just any divorce attorney.