Divorce might appear on the horizon for you at some point in your life. That is usually hard when it happens. Presumably, no one marries thinking that they will dissolve that union at some point. However, sometimes people just grow apart.
Locating an attorney who specializes in divorce law should happen after you and your spouse agree you are calling it quits. Hopefully, you can find an attorney who seems suitable without too much trouble. You will want to see a few specific things from them before you hire them. We’ll talk about five of them right now.
You Should Like Your Lawyer
You can usually find divorce lawyers with no trouble. If you live in a decent-sized city, you will probably have dozens from which to choose. Divorces happen every day all across the country, and some attorneys get into this kind of law and practice it exclusively.
When you look at a few of the divorce lawyers in your area, you can check out some of their reviews online. If they have plenty of five-star reviews and lots of other positive feedback, you should feel confident they can help you.
When you go to meet them, see what you think of the experience. Your encounter with the lawyer matters, but so does the conversation you have with the administrative assistant when you talk to them on the phone or in person. How do they make you feel? Do you sense they care about you, or do they seem standoffish or even rude?
As for the lawyer, try to form an impression of them when you’re in their presence. You and this attorney presumably won’t end up as good friends and hang out together outside of a work setting, but you should still feel comfortable in their presence.
If you’re not, then that probably means you should hire someone else. You’re going to spend a good deal of time with this person. You should feel they genuinely care about you and see you as more than just a dollar sign.
You Want to See That They Have Plenty of Experience in Divorce Law
You should also make sure that the attorney you hire has plenty of experience not just with the law but with divorce law in your state in particular. You’ll never have a hard time finding a lawyer, but hiring a tax attorney won’t help you when you’re getting a divorce.
You need to hire a lawyer who does either exclusively divorce law, or it’s one of their specialties. If they know very little about this particular niche, they’re not the best choice. Your spouse and their lawyer, when negotiation time comes, will probably run circles around your attorney if they don’t know all about divorce law and its many subtle intricacies.
They Should Seem Transparent When You Ask Them Questions
The legal profession sometimes has a negative reputation. You might meet a lawyer occasionally who makes you feel that’s a well-earned stereotype. Usually, though, it’s a myth. Many lawyers epitomize professionalism.
If you meet with your would-be divorce lawyer for the first time, though, and they don’t seem honest, that is probably an indication you should look elsewhere. They should answer all of your questions in a direct way. If they begin hemming and hawing when you ask them a simple question, that is a bad sign.
You need someone trustworthy to represent you during this challenging time in your life. If anything about your lawyer or what you see of their enterprise sets off alarm bells for you, politely tell them you’re going with one of their colleagues instead.
They’re Not a Pushover
You should note your lawyer’s disposition when you meet them. If they seem nice, that’s great, since you want to have pleasant dealings with them. However, you might need someone who can demonstrate toughness sometimes as well. That’s particularly true if you’re gearing up for a difficult court battle with your spouse.
If you and your partner decide that you should divorce, then ideally, you will agree on everything throughout the whole process. Maybe you’ll both get through it without ever so much as raising your voices. You can agree on who gets the house, the cars, and your various possessions. You’ll agree on who gets custody and what alimony payments one of you should receive.
Far too often, though, these divorces can turn into knock-down, drag-out battles. If that happens, you’ll want a lawyer who can take the proverbial gloves off and go toe-to-toe with your soon-to-be ex’s lawyer.
Keep in mind that your attorney represents you, and they may need to drop the pleasant demeanor if you feel like your spouse isn’t treating you fairly. In those situations, you need a legal bulldog who you can let off the leash.
They’re Not Afraid to Be Honest with You When You Need It
There’s one additional thing you should see from your lawyer. Sometimes, maybe you hope they will treat you with kid gloves. They’ll sugarcoat things when they tell them to you if that’s what you require.
During the divorce process, you’ll likely go through some difficult and even painful emotions. You don’t want someone who treats you harshly since maybe you feel like you’re getting that from your spouse already.
Occasionally, though, you want your lawyer to be able to tell you things frankly and without any finesse. If you say to them that you need the unadulterated truth, they should be able to give that to you.
For instance, if they feel you’re not going to be able to get custody of your kids for some reason, they should tell you that rather than getting your hopes up. That might seem harsh, but sometimes, hearing the truth makes parts of this whole process easier.
If you can find a divorce lawyer with all of these qualities, you’ll know that they can get you through this challenging time.