How to Find the Right Divorce Lawyer

Divorce is scary enough, but finding the right divorce lawyer to help you through the process can be even more stressful.  Here are a few tips and considerations:

  1. Educate yourself.  Review the websites of at least several divorce law firms before you make an appointment. Many have helpful information about divorce that will help you focus your questions for when you do meet with the lawyer.
  2. Write down your questions.  This is a very stressful time, and stress makes remembering even harder. If you write down your questions before you meet with the lawyer, you will be able to come away from the initial consultation much better informed. If you don’t write them down, you will likely forget about things yea really wanted to know.
  3. Think about your goals and what you want your divorce to look like.  Different attorneys approach divorce cases in different ways and from different perspectives. The more you know what you want in an attorney, the better you will recognize it when you find it.
  4. How well does the lawyer listen to you?  Some lawyers spend more time telling you what they can do for you than listening to what is important to you. A lawyer who takes the time to really listen is going to be more in tune with your goals and objectives. If the lawyer is not listening, you are going to get off the rack solutions rather than solutions tailored to you.
  5. Does the attorney offer options?  There are many ways to handle a divorce case. These include options like Litigation, Mediation, and Collaboration. Each case is different and the process that works best for one case is not necessarily the best for the next case.  Your attorney should be able to help you choose the best process for you.

In the end, most divorce attorneys are good at what they do. The best attorney for you is the one one that is the best fit for you. Make sure the two of you are on the same page, that you agree with their advice, and that you feel comfortable with them. If it does not feel like a good fit, it probably is not.