When you need a law Attorney you need to take your time and find one that will be able to handle the type of case you have. Not all lawyers practice family law, and not all lawyers will represent all types of family law cases.
When you need a lawyer to help you with a matter of family law you are more than likely going to be emotionally stressed by the situation you are in. Do not allow your emotions to cloud your judgment. Research the law firms in your area and consider your options carefully.
1. Ask friends and family to make referrals
You more than likely have at least one family member, or one friend that has had a reason in the past to hire a family law attorney. You trust your family and friends, and they will be honest with you about the divorce attorney, their fees, their office practices, and the way they treat their clients. This may be the most important information that you gather during your attorney search.
2. Look in the local phone directories
The lawyers in your area will be listed in your local phone book. Many of them will have full page advertisements that explain the type of law they practice. The information in these advertisements will be generic, but you can find out the physical address of their offices, and the type of law they practice, and their web address may also be listed. You need to find an attorney that is within an easy travel distance from your home or office.
3. Go to their websites
A divorce attorney will more than likely have a website that their potential clients can visit. The website should have information concerning the credentials of the lawyer, their experience as a family law attorney, their office location, their office hours, and other critical information. They may even have some articles on their site that could give you helpful hints on what you are going through.
4. Read news stories and press releases
Look up the local newspapers from the county that you are going to go to court in and look for articles concerning the lawyer you are considering. You want a lawyer that has had more positive stories printed about them than negative stories. You may also be able to determine the success rate the attorney has had in the past by the news articles you find written about them.
Check out sites like Twitter, and Facebook, and see if the attorney has an active account. You can often gain valuable insight about a person from what they are willing to post on social networking sites. You will also gain access to comments from former clients, and possibly get a better understanding of the lawyer, and how they treat their clients.
6. Look at online reviews
You can find reviews of a divorce attorney at sites like Avvo, Lawyers.com, and Findlaw that can help you to determine which family law attorney to choose.
If you have come to a point in your life when you could use the services of a family law attorney you may be struggling with how to select the right divorce attorney. There are several differences in law firms that you can use to narrow your selections down.
Some of the factors that will affect your selection of a family law attorney are:
Confidence
A divorce attorney has to be aggressive enough to go after what you want from the dissolution of the marriage. When you go to the free consultation visit you need to ask the divorce attorney exactly what they will do to represent you. You want them to answer with confidence, to have knowledge, experience, and determination. When you hire a divorce attorney you need a “pit bull” that will grab hold of the problem and not let go until they get what they want.
Compassion
Even though a family law attorney works to help dissolve a marriage contract they must be compassionate to both parties. At one time the couple that is divorcing were in love, and there are other family members affected by the impending divorce, so the lawyer must be able to represent their client while maintaining a compassionate view of everyone else involved.
Availability
You need an attorney that will be available to handle the details of your case. When you call for a consultation at some firms you will have to wait several days, or even weeks. If the office manager has to call you and postpone your consultation visit you may be dealing with a law firm that does not have time to accept your case.
Experience
When you are comparing law firms that handle family matters like child custody, divorce, and trust funds, you want someone that has experience dealing with the issues you might be facing. You want a law firm that has dealt with many different types of family law matters so that they will be prepared to handle anything that might come up during your case.
Affordability
Unfortunately you will have to consider the amount of money that the law firm charges to handle cases like yours. Legal representation can be quite expensive unless you carefully select a law firm that has prices you can afford. Some law firms have payment plans that they offer their clients, and some of How Much Does a Divorce Cost until the divorce is finalized because the other party may be responsible for some of your legal expenses. You must bring up the matter of fees at your first meeting and establish how much you can afford before you decide on the law firm.
Accessibility
You need a lawyer that has offices close to you. There will be times when you have to go by their offices to drop off documents, or to be briefed on the latest developments in the case. You want to be able to go to these meetings without having to miss work, or rearrange your life too drastically. Try and find an attorney that is in the same town that you are.
A divorce attorney or family law attorney will help you through some of the most difficult times in your life. These professionals will guide you, council you, and represent you in the legal matters of a divorce. You can get more information from family law attorney reviews.
Look for caring, compassionate, exceptionally knowledgeable
Look for caring, compassionate, exceptionally knowledgeable and competent family lawyers when you have family issues, their characteristics make quite a difference in the outcome.
Family law issues deal with sensitive matters related to children. Or issues between couples that could possibly have far reaching repercussions impacting the future of a family. Family law issues are compounded and made more complex by the emotional factor. Making for tangled webs that are difficult to unravel and, in a number of cases, end in bitter acrimony. This is where the characteristics of a good family law attorney. Lawyer assume center stage and could make quite a difference to the outcome.
Competence is the key to success
Competence is the key to success. The best family law attorney will dedicate hours to learning their craft. Acquiring knowledge about the intricate labyrinthine laws. In using these when needed to bring about a positive result in their client’s favor. Competent family law lawyers are distinguished. By a strong belief in themselves and their vision and consistently hard efforts they put in to achieve goals.
Another distinguishing characteristic is exceptional communication abilities and convincing powers. Knowledge of laws is one thing. Putting it across convincingly in an effective way to the deciding authority is another. This is where a family law attorney with these qualities can make the case turn in your favor. Aggression is another quality family law attorney or lawyer must possess. If they are to come across as stout defenders of their clients’ rights. All these factors, besides the merits of the case. Do influence the outcome when matters go to court.
