Divorce is one of the most common and complicated legal processes, especially when involving children. You need someone who knows how to handle your unique situation effectively and efficiently. If you’re going through a divorce or are thinking about it, here are some tips for choosing an attorney.
Don’t just choose a friend.
Friends are a great source of information, but they can’t always help you find the right divorce attorney for your case. Here’s what to watch out for:
- They may not be objective.
- They may not have the same priorities as you do.
- They might not have the same skills and experience needed.
Choose someone who knows the ins and outs of divorce law in your state.
Ask the lawyer if he or she has been in practice for a long time and if they are familiar with any special situations you may face, like a custody case involving children from a previous relationship or a problem with a military member. If you are not sure, ask!
Choose someone with experience handling cases like yours.
While it’s important to find an attorney who is a good fit for your personality, the most important factor in choosing an attorney is finding one with experience handling cases similar to yours.
If you have a large number of assets or income, you might want to choose someone who has handled similar cases before so that everyone involved has an idea of what will happen next. On the other hand, if this isn’t the case for either party involved in the divorce process and they aren’t interested in fighting over financial details during their divorce proceedings, then having an experienced lawyer might not matter as much as having a lawyer who understands what kind of person would be best suited for each specific situation.
Find out how many cases your attorney is currently handling.
One of the most important factors in choosing a divorce attorney is whether or not they will be able to give you the attention and care that you deserve during such a difficult time. Many aspects of divorce require careful thought, but it’s also important to consider how your lawyer can help manage these issues while handling other cases.
Make sure your attorney will listen to you.
To make sure your lawyer will pay attention to all of your concerns during the legal process:
- Make sure that he or she is willing to speak openly about his or her work history at his/her previous firm(s).
- Ask if he/she has experience handling divorces like yours (e.g., uncontested).
- Find out if he/she has ever represented a client similar in age group/ethnicity/class status as yourself before making any final decisions about representation; some attorneys specialize in representing certain groups of people over others. You want someone who understands where YOU are coming from!
Make sure your attorney seems compassionate about your situation, but not too sympathetic.
A compassionate attorney understands your situation and cares about you. This is a good thing because it will make the person more likely to help you through an already difficult process. However, you should not look for an attorney who feels too sorry for your situation or shows too much sympathy for what happened to cause the divorce. A sympathetic attorney may have trouble concentrating on anything else besides how sad and sorry he or she feels about the outcome of your case.
You want an effective advocate.
While it’s nice to have an attorney who acts as a friend, you want an effective advocate in court. An experienced divorce lawyer can help ensure that your rights are protected and that you get what’s fair and just for your circumstances.
When choosing a divorce attorney, look for one with the following qualities:
- Professionalism – A professional divorce attorney will treat you respectfully, even if things get heated during negotiations or court proceedings.
- Experience – Choose someone familiar with the ins and outs of divorce law in your state or province (or country).
Divorce is a difficult time, and you need someone to help you navigate the process and keep your best interests in mind. Contact Holman Law Firm today so we can fight and serve you in court!
