7 Quick Ways to Determine Who’s the Best of Your Local Divorce Lawyers
Around 40 to 50 percent of American marriages end in divorce. No matter how beautiful your wedding was or what great intentions the both of you had, these numbers ring true.
If you are dealing with a divorce situation, you shouldn’t feel bad about it. The best thing you can do is secure one of the best local divorce lawyers to help you through the case.
You don’t have to be going through a nasty divorce to need a lawyer either. Even if you are trying to dissolve your union amicably, you should consider bringing on an attorney to make sure everything is done properly.
Continue reading this article to learn how to find the best divorce lawyer in your area.
Vetting Local Divorce Lawyers
Whether you are trying to learn more about paying child support after the divorce, how you should set up visitation or other matters, an attorney can advise you on the best practices.
See below:
1. Friends & Family Referral
It is likely that you know multiple people that have gone through divorces at some point in their lives. Ask friends and family for referrals to see how their experience was with their lawyer.
If it has been some time since their divorce, you may need to check and see if the attorney is still in town or if they are in practice at all.
2. Attorney Specialty
Before you choose an attorney, you need to look at your specific case. Some attorneys specialize in dealing with cases that involve children. Other attorneys are best working on cases that have large amounts of money at stake.
Just because an attorney is a good person doesn’t mean they are a good match for your case. You want to make sure they understand the laws around your situation so you can have the best opportunity to get the outcome that you want.
Working with an attorney that is inexperienced with your type of case puts your case in jeopardy.
3. Online Reviews
If you don’t know anyone that has a connection to a local lawyer, you can turn to online review websites. While they might not give you as much assurance as your friends and family, they are helpful when you make your decision.
After you read reviews and find a possible candidate for your case, you can even ask them if you could speak to one of their clients on the phone or in person to hear about their experience with their firm. Many clients are grateful and willing to speak with a potential new client to help the attorney as a thank-you.
4. Length of Experience
While the length of experience isn’t the end all be all, it does play into the scheme of things. If you’re working with a lawyer that doesn’t have any experience, you’re not likely to feel confident in their abilities.
New attorneys should be paired with someone that has experience so you know they have counsel from someone that has dealt with your case before. You may even ask for a discount on your case if the new attorney is put as the lead on your case.
5. Education
Education also plays into your decision-making process as you’re choosing an attorney for your divorce case. Not all educational institutions are created equally and you might want to look at the requirement of their graduation before you put your case in their hands.
6. Cost
Even if you want to find the best attorney to work your case, you simply can’t ignore cost. Some of the top divorce attorneys may be outside of your budget because they only deal with cases that have large amounts of money at stake.
Don’t be afraid to ask about their rates up front so you don’t waste your time with an attorney that is out of your reach.
Depending on what state and city you’re in as well as what type of case you have, the fees of an attorney are going to be different. You shouldn’t wait until the end of your conversation to give them the details and get an idea of how much the bill is going to be.
7. Ease of Working Together
If the divorce is long and drawn out, you’re going to be married to this attorney throughout the duration of your case. You need to make sure that you’re going to be able to work together easily.
If you hire an attorney you can’t stand, you’re going to put yourself through months of discomfort and annoyances.
Find out how frequently the attorney will be able to communicate with you. You should also find out if the attorney will be doing the work themselves or if they task everything to a paralegal.
If you expect to be updated on a daily or weekly basis, you should let them know and see if that is something they are willing to do. When you both have different expectations, no one is going to be happy so make sure to get this out up front.
Also, find out what means of communication you should expect. Do they email updates or call you on the phone? Do they work late or do they leave the office at 5?
These things are important to ask so don’t be afraid to find out before you sign on the dotted line.
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