You’re probably worried that you might not find a good divorce attorney. There are tons of family lawyers out there. How do you know if you’ve got a “good” one or not? I’ve been working in the divorce space for decades, so I have a pretty good idea of who knows their stuff and how you get one of them to represent you.
- Get referrals from other trusted professionals. Ask other attorneys, accountants, and tax preparers who they would recommend. You might also get referrals from family and friends, but focus more on the referrals from people who work in or near the legal space because they will likely have better referrals for you.
- Make sure you’re talking to attorneys who specialize in divorce and family law. Some lawyers are generalists who do all sorts of different cases including estate and probate work, criminal matters, and traffic tickets. You want one who focuses on divorce because he or she will most likely know more about the divorce laws and procedures.
- Interview at least 3 divorce attorneys. They call this an initial consultation. Sometimes it’s free. Sometimes it’s not. Don’t be scared away by those who charge for the consultation. They usually have great actionable advice that makes it worth the money. Focus on talking to different attorneys: men and women, larger and smaller firms, ones within different specialties or interests in the divorce space. Avoid attorneys who have divorce as only one small part of their practice. You want an attorney who does only family law.
- Go into each interview with a list of questions. You should be asking things like what their approach is to cases like yours, what their expertise is, how much you should expect to pay, and who will be working on your case. Are they willing to answer your questions thoroughly? Do you feel like they are listening to you? How well do you think you’d work together?
Don’t make a decision until you’ve met with all of the attorneys you’re interviewing. The person who seems like a great fit during your first meeting, might not seem as great after you’ve talked to a few more attorneys. It’s a process.
And don’t just go with the attorney who tells you what you want to hear. Or who seems to charge the least. Or is hell-bent on fighting this out with your ex. None of these things are good reasons to choose a particular divorce attorney.
After you’re done with your initial consultations, you’ll likely have a good idea of who knows what they’re talking about, who would be easiest for you to work with, and who really has your best interests in mind.
