![How to Find a Good Divorce Lawyer? – [10 Things to Consider]](https://www.parkaman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/How-to-Find-a-Good-Divorce-Lawyer-300x203.jpg)
When you are sure that your marriage is not working again, it can be a tough process to go through the legal processes. It is usually difficult to know what to do or who to turn to for help. Only a few people have prior knowledge of the intricacies of divorce proceedings. Making the decision alone to divorce can be emotionally draining and involves an extensive soul-searching. As if that is not enough, you still have to pass through the stress of searching for a divorce lawyer.
It is important to hire a divorce lawyer from the beginning that can provide you with top-notch representation. With the help of family law attorneys, you will be surprised at how much time, stress, and money you will save. Your divorce attorney will help you to avoid stressful, drawn-out fights with your ex-spouse.
Passing through a divorce can re-shape the rest of your life that is why you should choose wisely when you want to hire a divorce lawyer.
How to Hire a Divorce Lawyer?
Knowing how to hire family law attorneys that can offer you the advice you need, at an affordable price, and also suit your case is not always easy. That is why you need to adhere to the following guidelines;
- Choose the Divorce Process
The first thing you should do when looking for an attorney for divorce is to decide which process you want to follow in your divorce. You have to choose the litigation, cooperative divorce, mediation, or collaborative divorce processes. After making this decision, you can then find a divorce lawyer who is experienced in your chosen process. What it means is that you have to choose a divorce attorney that appropriately matches the divorce process of your choice.
- Understand the Role of your Divorce Lawyer
Your aim for getting an attorney for divorce is to help in dissolving your marriage in an equitable and fair manner. That is why you should concentrate on your investments, other assets, money, real estates, and the custody of children if you have any when you meet up with your divorce attorney. Don’t forget that your divorce lawyer is not your emotional supporter. You should go to family, friends, and therapists for emotional support. As you meet with your lawyer, make sure to restrain your emotional outbursts and stick to providing factual answers to his or her questions. Although it may be difficult to restrain the emotional outpouring, use the attorney for his or her legal advice. If not, you will escalate his or her retained unnecessarily.
Given the circumstances mentioned above, it’s indeed important to understand the primary role of your divorce lawyer in your situation. Since you may be too emotional to deal with the court proceedings, you need a legal professional to objectively evaluate the facts of your divorce case and recommend the best possible strategy to win it.
Generally, most family law attorneys specializing in divorce cases have legal expertise to help you navigate the different aspects of divorce. From the validity of the grounds for divorce to asset division and custodial issues, they can help you deal with these aspects to ensure you make the right decisions. They can also protect you from the possibility of being taken advantage of by your ex-spouse. They can inform you of your rights that you may not know about.
Hence, if you’re looking for a divorce lawyer, make sure to consider their primary duties and responsibilities. That way, you can get the most out of their legal services for your divorce case.
- Decide on the Specific Legal Service you Want
It is a fact that anyone that is passing through a divorce needs legal counsel. However, it is not all of them that require advice that worth’s $500 per hour which is obtainable in big law firms. Moreover, if your financial situation is complicated, you own lots of assets, or a Company owner, then you can go to big city law firms. They are the people that can understand finances. Also, they are highly equipped to take care of any complicated divorce proceedings.
On the other hand, if you have no real estate, no children, a short marriage, and there are no retirement plans to divide, it is advisable to choose an ordinary consultation with an attorney.
- Carry out your Research
There is the need to carry out personal research to enable you to get acquainted with the divorce proceedings. The research will help you to become familiar with most of the specialized legal terminologies and terms that you will face during the divorce process.
- Figure out your Budget
No matter the financial status of an individual, nobody wants to spend thousands of dollars on a divorce attorney. However, there is a need to balance the equation. You have to match the level of the legal services to the service cost that is affordable for you.
- Carefully Interview your Options
If you want to understand the various approaches, there is the need for you to interview as many lawyers as possible before deciding the suitable one for your specific situation. You can ask around your circle from those who have used divorce attorneys for the recommendation. Word of mouth seems to be the best route to find a divorce lawyer that knows his or her stuff.
- Do not Believe everything from Lawyer’s Rating Programs
Agencies that posts lawyer ratings on their programs may not be infallible. Some of the good lawyers who decide not to participate or advertise on their specific rating program are likely to have poor ratings. Even though the lawyer is an amazing one, the fact that he or she refused to join their program will reflect poorly on their ratings. Another factor is from the angle of the divorcees. They are usually unhappy people during those processes and are not likely to appreciate the high performance of their lawyer. They are likely to rate an otherwise amazing lawyer low. For these reasons, do not base your choice of a divorce attorney on the lawyer rating programs.
- Only Hire Family Law Attorneys
It is vital to find family law attorneys who are experienced in divorce proceedings. This is not the time to look for a friend or family member that is a specialist in estate planning. You need a regular divorce lawyer who works only on divorce.
- Prepare a Questionnaire
It is important to have a long list of questions that will ask while interviewing a prospective lawyer. This questionnaire will help you to remember all the essential aspects which you may forget out of nervousness. For instance, such questions like;
How steep is divorce attorney fees?
Divorce attorney fees usually render people uneasy anytime it is due for discussion. Do not shy away from the task. Make sure that you know the cost of hiring a particular lawyer. Find out there retaining cost and hourly billings and fees terms. Make sure that you understand clearly the services you will be paying for, also the how many times you will be charged and the amount to avoid surprises.
- Follow your Instinct
All of the above factors are rational and logical. However, you should listen to your gut feeling while meeting with a lawyer. If your instinct tells you that the lawyer will not suit your unique situation, then “Run!,” but if your instinct says yes, you can go ahead.
Conclusion
After going through this content, you now know how you can find a good divorce lawyer. All it involves is making use of your head and follow your instincts. Your divorce will move forward without any major hitch or challenge.
Related readings:
- How to Find a Bankruptcy Lawyer? – [7-Step Guide]
- How to Find a Pro Bono Lawyer When You Can’t Afford One?
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