You are getting a divorce. Or perhaps you have happy news, and you are adopting a child. It can be liberating, overwhelming, stressful, or exciting or all of the above. No matter how your family is changing or how you feel about it, the most important action you can take to ensure that it goes as smoothly as possible is to find the right lawyer.
1. Experience. Experience. Experience. If you don’t have someone with experience, you have the wrong attorney.
- Education is not the same as experience, so it almost goes without saying that your attorney is not fresh out of law school and working on his or her first family law case.
- Ask your attorney how many family law cases he or she has handled. A
- Ask about the outcomes of your attorney’s previous cases.
- Ask how comfortable your attorney is with hearings, in the court room, and in your jurisdiction.
- Don’t just be satisfied with surface answers but really dig to make sure that your lawyer is knowledgeable, confident, and accomplished.
2. Find the Lawyer that Fits Your Style.
- You know your situation and your personal preferences better than anyone else, so find the lawyer that is a good fit for you. Here are some types to look for:
- “The Bulldog” – some attorneys are extremely brash and aggressive. This might be the type of person you need if you have a bully for a spouse in a divorce or if there are issues that will be hotly contested.
- “The Negotiator”– some attorneys are excellent at finding the win-win for all parties and for the family, and they can be effective in selling solutions even to an adversarial spouse.
- “The Researcher” – some family law cases involve assets that are complex. Perhaps a you own a business together, perhaps some of your assets are also owned with other family members or in-laws. If you know that your assets are complicated, you want an attorney with the patience and finesse to handle that type of case.
- “The Problem-Solver” – some families face unique problems – care for a special needs family member for example or perhaps a parent’s job that places unusual hurdles that make the case atypical. If you see that your divorce falls in this category, you want to find an attorney who can think outside the box and who isn’t just trying to fit you into one of a few typical scenarios.
3. Make sure Your Attorney Is Within Your Budget.
- You can expect a family law case – whether divorce or adoption — to put a strain on your finances, even if you have a fairly large family budget because it is an out of the ordinary expense.
- Ask your attorney how he or she anticipates your case will go.
- Don’t be afraid to push for an estimate on costs.
- Find out how you will be billed and who will work on your case.
- Inquire about the most cost-effective means of communication with your attorney and his or her staff – i.e. emails, calls, texts, etc.
