Find a Good Divorce Attorney

You’ve decided your marriage is no longer a viable relationship, and you need to see about finding a good divorce attorney. But where do you begin? You don’t want to just randomly call attorneys in the phone book or go strictly by their website bios. You want to find an attorney with whom you are comfortable and whom you trust to act in the most competent and professional manner and in your best interests. Use these strategies to find a good divorce attorney and take the first step toward ending your marriage and getting on with your life.

Determine the Type of Attorney You’ll Need to Retain

 * 1) Put your children first.
 * 2) *Take into account the age, number of children and the relationships you and your spouse have with them. If your children are pre-teen and older, they may be brought into the proceedings to declare with whom they wish to live.
 * 3) *If you don’t have children or they are grown, you won’t need to be as concerned about finding an attorney specializing in family law.
 * 4) Consider your financial situation -- shared bank and investment accounts, property ownership and other joint assets. If you have any financial holdings, you’ll need to find an attorney well-versed in laws governing finance.
 * 5) Look at you and your spouse’s relationship to predict how nasty or nice the divorce proceedings could turn.
 * 6) *While you’re learning how to find a good divorce attorney, you may decide you don’t each need separate attorneys. If your relationship is amicable and you foresee comfortable and friendly negotiations, consider an attorney skilled at mediation who will draw up a divorce decree in both of your interests.
 * 7) *If you are seeking a divorce from an abusive spouse - physical or verbal - you will want to seek an attorney who specializes in women’s rights.

Ask Your Divorced Friends for Recommendations

 * 1) Talk to friends who have been where you are to learn about their experiences with their attorneys.
 * 2) *Most people who have gone through a divorce won’t shy away from relating their stories.
 * 3) *Some friends will openly discuss finances -- the consultation fee they paid and what the attorney charges per hour.
 * 4) Ask specific questions about your friends’ experiences communicating with the attorney.
 * 5) *Were emails and phone calls promptly returned?
 * 6) *Was the staff friendly and knowledgeable, an important factor should the attorney be unreachable when you have a question?
 * 7) *How was the attorney in court – did he or she seem comfortable communicating with the other attorneys and the judge?
 * 8) *Were all terms clearly spelled out and all questions answered prior to the attorney requiring a retainer?
 * 9) Ask your friends if they would select this same attorney if they were in the situation again.
 * 10) Determine if your friends’ cases were settled in the agreed-upon timeframe or if the attorney tended to drag things out.

Consult With Several Attorneys Before Retaining One

 * 1) Call your top 2 or 3 choices to set up a consultation.
 * 2) *Be prepared to pay for the consultation, although some do offer a free initial consultation.
 * 3) Jot down basic notes about your marriage beforehand.
 * 4) Compile a folder of legal documents to take along, including the original marriage license, your driver’s license, tax records and such. Include proof of infidelity if this is the basis of the divorce, and you have this kind of documentation.
 * 5) Go alone to the initial consultation. This may seem obvious but even if you are considering using the attorney for mediation, the initial meeting should be done by the spouse who plans to go on record as the petitioner for the divorce.
 * 6) Ask the attorney to lay out a fee schedule so you’ll know exactly what the divorce will cost you.
 * 7) *Many attorneys will charge a set fee up front, based on information they have collected from you. This is often a significant sum of money that their office hours are charged against.

Tips

 * Everything you say to an attorney is confidential, so rest assured you can talk about sensitive information without feeling uncomfortable or embarrassed.
 * Look for an attorney that specializes in divorce.

Warnings

 * If dealing with a mediating attorney, understand that should the negotiations between you and your spouse break down, the attorney will most likely excuse himself or herself from the case. You will then both have to start over with new attorneys.
 * Make sure that you take your time when looking for a good divorce attorney, this will save you time, money, and hassle in the long run.

Related

 * How to Survive a Divorce
 * How to Handle Divorce Anger
 * How to Choose the Right Divorce Lawyer
 * How to Deal With Children in a Divorce Situation
 * How to Be Happy After a Divorce

Sources and Citations

 * http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Morgan13.html