How to Find the Right Divorce Attorney for You
Many American marriages end in divorce. Recent data show that about 41% of all marriages in the United States do not work out. There are a lot of reasons for this. The main reasons people get divorce are infidelity, money problems, issues with communicating, spousal abuse and general loss of interest. Given the fact that , for most couples the divorce process can take about 12 months to be final, it is a good idea to find the right divorce attorney for you and your situation. Here are some steps you can take to find the right divorce lawyer.
- Ask the people you know and trust. The best way, hands down, to find quality goods and services is to get a referral from a friend, colleague or family member. There are so many divorces in the United States that you probably know a decent number of people who have done through one. Even if you dot hire the people who you confidants went with, you can start a list of divorce attorneys to talk to. If you know any lawyers, ask them if they have a divorce attorney they can recommend.
- Think about what your needs are. There are a lot of factors and issues that are different for every situation. For example, there are child custody lawyers who can help if you have kids. If you have children and want to get custody, you will need someone with a lot of experience. Before you talk to any divorce attorneys, you should take a good look at what your specific needs are. If you are a doctor, you will want to talk to someone with experience in the process for divorce for physicians. There are also different things that need to be considered if you are looking at a divorce for business owners.
- Get the right specialist for your case. Some people think that all lawyers can handle all kinds of cases. That may be true for soap opera lawyers but if you are contemplating getting a divorce, you really need an accomplished and qualified divorce attorney. When you are looking different divorce attorneys, you need to ask why they picked this specialty. You also need to find how how long they have practiced it and what percentage of their time is devoted to divorce cases. The last thing you need is to hire an attorney who has not worked on cases like yours in a very long time. Remember, like medical professionals, attorneys specialize.
- Get a divorce attorney who is local to you. Divorce laws vary from state to state so if you live in Galveston, Texas, you need to find a lawyer who know the law in Texas. Your cousin who got a divorce in another state may not have used a lawyer who would be able to work with you. It is very important that your lawyer be able to practice in your state and has a full understanding of divorce law where you live.
- Set yourself a budget. You should take into consideration how complicated your divorce will be but, at the end of the day, you also need to be able to afford your divorce attorney. When you go into your first consultations, you should always ask for an explanation of the law firm’s billing process and policy. Make sure you find out what additional fees may be tacked on to the fee for their services. That may include, but not limited to, the experts they hire on your behalf. Most law firms have their own way of handling billing. If you get the sense that they do not want to give you this information, you should take your business elsewhere.
- Think about how wiling the divorce attorneys seem to be to answer your questions. If a lawyer does not seem willing to take the time to answer your questions before you become a client, you can bet that they are not going to give you more time once you have hired them on your case.
While you may never find a divorce attorney to be your best friend, you need to trust them. If you cannot, you really need to keep looking around.
