When you are faced with a divorce, one of the first questions that go through most people’s minds is “How am I going to find the right lawyer?” Knowing the right way to select a divorce attorney that is going to offer you with legal advice that you require, at the price you able to afford ,and one that matches up to your specific situation is never easy.
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Why Choosing The Best Divorce Lawyer Matters
Each lawyer has her or his own ideas, philosophies, beliefs as well as a way they go about doing business. And each attorney has their own approach when it comes to divorce. More importantly, each lawyer will be good with some things, while not so good when it comes to other things.
Certain lawyers are excellent in court, yet are not so great when it comes to collaborative divorces. Some are good negotiators, yet not so great as trial lawyers. Certain lawyers will strongly advocate mediation while others believe it is a “waste of time”.
If you would like to ensure your get through the divorce as painlessly and easily as possible, you need to know how you should choose a lawyer, and how to know if the lawyer you have chosen is suitable for your divorce requirements. Below are 5 top tips to assist you with your search.
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1. Decide On What Type Of Divorce Process You Would Like To Use
This will be the 1st decision that needs to be made. This will mean making a decision on whether you would like to use a collaborative, litigation or mediation divorce. From here you can now start searching for the lawyer that has experience in the process you have chosen to use. If you would like to divorce as amicably as possible, avoid hiring an attorney that might escalate any conflicts you and your spouse already have with one another. However, if your husband or wife has hired one of those shark attorneys already and you are forced to go to court and fight, you will need to the type of lawyer who will be able to stand up to this conflict level.
Source: lateet.com2. Make A Decision On The Type Of Legal Services You Will Need
While just about any person that is faced with a divorce will need the right legal advice, not every person will require a lawyer charges $500 an hour to work on the case. When you own many assets, companies or your financial situation is complicated, then you will probably require a larger law firm that will represent you adequately. Yet if the marriage was short, you have no real estate or kids, the choice to hire one of the larger law firms might not be in your best interests. In these cases the solo lawyers will end up costing you a lot less in legal fees.
Family problem3. Determine What You Are Able To Afford
No one likes the idea of having to fork out thousands of their hard earned cash to their divorce attorney. Yet when it comes to lawyers the saying “being penny wise and pound foolish” becomes applicable. For example, if you already own a number of properties or you earn a 6 figure salary, it is much easier to afford one of the best lawyers around. Even when you do not like the idea of paying a divorce attorney this is besides the actual point. If you risk losing something the option to go cheap when hiring a divorce attorney in Dayton, Ohio may end up costing you a lot more than you thought you could save. If you are one of the many people that lives from one paycheck to the next, you have lots of debts and no assets, hiring a high-powered and expensive lawyer would be crazy. You may be persuaded by family and friends that this is the best route to take, but it could result in you landing up in a bankruptcy court.
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4. Ask For Recommendations
Perhaps one of the better ways to find just the right divorce attorney for your situation, and will most likely remain is through word-of-mouth. If you already know of a friend or someone at work who has recently gone through their own divorce and were happy with the outcome and the lawyer, ask for the lawyers contact details. It is still important that you find out from the individual what type of process that was used. For example, if a friend of yours used a mediation approach and you are in a battle, then this is usually not the type of lawyer you need. You can also ask any lawyers that you know that do not specialize in divorces for a recommendation on a good divorce attorney. For example, if you live next door to a reputable real-estate attorney, they will probably be able to give you information on great divorce attorneys in your local area.
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5. Use The Internet With Care
The website of prospective lawyers will usually give you information on what the lawyer specializes in along with their philosophy. If you land on a site where they are talking about “fighting for your rights”, this is more than likely a trial attorney. If the website advertises a way to stay away from court, or to divorce in an amicable way, the attorney works well with collaborative or mediation divorces.
When it comes to using the Internet to your advantage when it comes to your divorce, you should look at it as a way to validate any referrals and gather information about the different lawyers in your area. It is always better to obtain personal referrals when it comes to divorce lawyers that will suit you the best. If on the other hand you have no other choice than to go online to find your divorce lawyer make sure you set up interviews with at least 3 to 4 lawyers to find the type that makes you feel comfortable that they have the skills to help you navigate through your divorce.
