You need to have an experienced divorce attorney by your side when heading for a divorce to understand your rights and get the desired outcome. Since the stakes are high, any person would not want to compromise on the custody of the children or the matrimonial assets.
Divorce is an extremely stressful process, however, it is less frightening when an experienced attorney is handling your case. Hiring a divorce lawyer does not have to be overly complicated if you are aware of the key steps and divorce priorities.
Tips For Hiring a Divorce Attorney
Divorce attorneys deal with important issues such as spousal maintenance, child support, custody arrangements, and division of assets. Since wealth and child custody is on the line, it is crucial to hire an attorney that understands your emotional and financial needs and fights to get a resolution according to your expectations.
Obtain Recommendations
Ask your advisor or another lawyer who has represented you in another case to recommend a divorce attorney competent enough to handle your legal concerns. Ask someone you know who has previously gone through a divorce and hired an attorney for their marriage dissolution case.
Do Research
Once you have gathered a list of reputable divorce lawyers, research their track record and the approach they follow when handling divorce cases. After thorough research, weigh your options and shortlist 3 to 5 attorneys to meet and interview. Prepare a list of questions taking into account the information collected.
Interview
It is time to interview the shortlisted attorneys and ask questions from the list. Undoubtedly, it is the most important hiring phase and this decision will have a significant impact on your life forever. Do not rush to hire an attorney, instead take your time and inquire about the approach they will follow when fighting your case.
If the lawyer does not give you enough time, there is no point in moving forward with them. There are plenty of divorce attorneys who will happily address your concerns and answer all your questions.
Evaluate the Strengths and Shortcomings of the Lawyer
In-person meetings will help the client understand how compatible they are with the attorney and whether you liked their approach to solving the case. Consider their qualifications, experience, and track record as well as the cases they have previously handled.
Some lawyers specialized in dealing with custody cases while other handles the financial aspect of the divorce well. Hire an attorney with extensive experience in handling your issue.
Sign a Written Agreement With the Divorce Lawyer
After finalizing the lawyer, obtain an agreement in writing that sets out all details regarding the case and the fee of the lawyer. It must include fee rate, additional costs, and future billing to reduce the risk of conflicts arise about billing at a later stage. Even if there is a problem relating to the fee, both the client and attorney can turn to the agreement for guidance and resolve the issue promptly.