Choose the Right Divorce Lawyer!
Choose the Right Divorce Lawyer!
Choosing the Right Divorce Lawyer
Choosing the right family lawyer may be one of the biggest decisions that you will ever have to make. Men and women do not give enough thought to the choice of their divorce lawyer. Your future may be forever affected by the quality of the divorce lawyer you choose.
When choosing a family lawyer, ALWAYS listen to your gut! You should choose a lawyer who is not only best suited to the specific details of your situation but is someone whom you feel you can trust and are comfortable with. Do you feel like you and your lawyer are a team?
Most clients choose their divorce lawyer on the advice of friends or colleagues. Many choose their lawyer based on hearsay!
Firstly, you should try and determine what type of a lawyer you might need. You need to ask yourself many questions before researching a lawyer. For example, if you and your ex can likely work things out co-operatively then you probably don’t need a lawyer that focuses on litigation. If custody will be a high conflict issue, don’t choose a lawyer that seldom deals with this issue or is very inexperienced. The answers to these and many more questions will go a long way towards finding the lawyer that will be most successful and able to focus on your specific needs.
Secondly, even if an initial consultation may cost you money, it is essential that you consult more than one lawyer and have a face-to-face meeting before retaining the right professional. Treat this time as an opportunity to interview your lawyer.
And, finally, your lawyer will be your advocate in the process; your lawyer will advise you, represent you and negotiate for you. You should hire a professional who will engage in mutually respectful conversation with you and who can at times give you advice that you may not want to hear. Your lawyer should be responsive to your communication requests (within reason), explain things in as much detail as you require, and refer you to other professionals as necessary.
As you travel this journey remember that in evaluating your lawyer’s performance, your lawyer is not your therapist, your divorce financial expert, or your friend. And of course, lawyers are human, just like the rest of us. As you can see, choosing a lawyer is not an easy task; take the time and try and make the best choice for YOU! Your future depends on it!
