What to Look for in a Divorce Attorney

Jan 22
08:35

2011

Abraham Avotina

Abraham Avotina

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When it comes to getting a divorce you need to find a good divorce attorney. Some people hire the first person they come across in the yellow pages or online. This is not wise. Here we look at the things you should keep in mind as you look for the right professional to represent you.

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The choice of a divorce attorney is very important because it can make or break the settlement you receive following your divorce. Knowing what to look for in the attorney you choose is very important to the outcome.

The first thing you should do is to select an attorney who specializes in this particular area of the law. Look for a law firm that specializes in family law and divorce. A lawyer who has a number of years’ experience in this specialty will be better equipped to handle your case than will an attorney who has worked in another area of the law.

Be aware that unlike the medical community,What to Look for in a Divorce Attorney Articles in the legal profession there are no specific rules and/or regulations that stipulate under what circumstances an attorney can call him or herself a specialist. To ensure that you do not hire a divorce specialist who really works in a variety of areas of the law you need to do research and found a law firm that specializes in divorce.

You need to find a divorce lawyer who has as much experience as possible. You want to find one who has been practicing for a number of years and has had a fair amount of experience in the state you reside in. Just as other professionals move for personal and work reasons, the same can be said for family law and divorce lawyers. There may be a new lawyer in your area that is good at what he or she does but has not had the opportunity to become as familiar as possible with the family laws in your state. This makes a difference so do not disregard this point.

Being prepared for whatever is to come during your divorce proceedings is so essential. For this reason you need to choose for yourself a divorce attorney that has had a decent amount of experience in a courtroom. The more experience he or she has the better it will be for you. It is a common assumption that all attorneys have spent plenty of time in a courtroom in front of a judge. This is not necessarily the case. Hopefully your case will not need to go to court. If it does though you want to be accompanied by a lawyer who knows his or her stuff and can help walk you through the process.

It can be intimidating to step inside a courtroom and have your personal life discussed. For this very reason having a divorce attorney by your side that is well acquainted with the system and all the complexities of it can help to put your mind at rest. It also helps if the lawyer has brought cases before the selection of judges that could be assigned to your divorce case.

Not only do the credentials of the attorney matter but so does his or her personal qualities. Hire a divorce attorney that you are comfortable talking with and one that you respect and like as a person. You need a lawyer who has interpersonal skills that are very good as he or she will have to deal with many different people throughout the divorce negotiations and proceedings.