How to Become a Divorce Lawyer in Louisiana

By now, you’ve most likely thought critically and exhaustively about hiring an attorney regarding your family breakup.  Some of you are maybe even thinking about becoming a divorce lawyer yourself. This blog is written for you. I will take you through the steps that are required in order for you to become a divorce lawyer in the State of Louisiana.

First of all, one must earn an undergraduate degree followed by a 3 year law degree.  It is important to make good grades in undergraduate so that you may be able to choose which law school you wish to attend.  In addition to grades, you must pass the LSAT. After you have successfully completed the LSAT, you apply to law school. After you’ve been accepted into the school of your choice, it again is important to do well. After you have graduated law school, one must register to sit for the Louisiana State Bar Examination. Once you have passed and have met the character and fitness requirements, you will get sworn in as a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association. Now you are finally ready to practice.

The first thing a solo divorce lawyer must do is to find an office space. This should be economical but also should be conveniently located. The next step is to find business. One may ask, “how do I do that?’ Well, there are many different ways a solo practitioner can find business. One method is simply handling a case pro-bono so that you may demonstrate your capabilities. Usually, if the client is satisfied, the client will spread the word and refer business to the attorney. However, this could be timely and of course is not guaranteed.

One of the most popular methods of getting clients is advertisement. Through advertisement, a divorce lawyer must be able to stand up above the crowd in order for him to get cliental. Most rookie solo practitioners are looking for a ‘get rich quick scheme’ and do not care about their reputation or adverse consequences. This should be avoided. An attorney who advertises based on his true experience and passion, which in turn is measured by objective success, is the attorney to hire. So when advertising as a rookie, be honest and tell the truth about your experience. The client will appreciate this. If you cannot be forthright to the client in the initial consultation, what makes you think that you are worthy of any further belief?

A new divorce lawyer should spend his free time in court observing hearings and reading pleadings. This will maximize the new attorney’s knowledge bank. As a result, the new attorney will be able to thoroughly explain procedure and substantive issues of law to the client, thereby entrusting the client’s confidence. While it is good to make a great first impression, such behavior should be natural and you should in fact have such knowledge. After getting the first few clients via advertisements, the attorney will find that if he does a good job on those cases, most of his clients will begin to come from word-of-mouth referrals. This is self-rewarding knowing that your clients appreciate you and your work to the extent that they are willing to refer you people they know. The new attorney must comport himself with decorum, respect and be neatly groomed. This goes a long way.

The above article is informational.  It is not professional legal advice, so please do not view it as such.  Will Beaumont is an attorney and is only licensed in Louisiana.  He has an office in New Orleans and has an office in Metairie.