Divorce can be a painful, emotionally charged time in your life, so consulting a divorce lawyer to help and guide you with handling your situation is a good idea. During major life-events such as a divorce, your mental state is not always optimal and you risk making decisions you normally wouldn’t make for the sake of getting it over and done with quickly.
Unfortunately those decisions you make while under duress may not be those that are in your best interests. This is where a good divorce lawyer can help you with your divorce decisions so you can be sure all aspects will be covered properly.
However, you shouldn’t just call the very first lawyer you find in the phone book. There are some questions that you must ask your divorce lawyer to be sure you’re getting the best possible help.
A divorce lawyer is one who specializes in family law. This means a personal injury lawyer or a criminal lawyer won’t be able to navigate through the legal loopholes inherent in family law nearly as well as one who specializes in this specific area. Always be sure to choose your divorce lawyer from a range of legal practitioners with a background and specialty in family law.
You should ideally try to engage a divorce lawyer with a history of experience with successful family law cases. Never feel guilty about asking your divorce lawyer about historical case experience.
It is important you know up front what fees, charges and hourly rates you will incur each time you speak to or deal with your divorce lawyer. Many legal offices will be happy to forward you a written copy of their schedule of fees so that you will have a reference to check when the bills begin to arrive.
You must not contact the same divorce lawyer to that of your spouse. Your spouse’s lawyer is being paid to work in your spouse’s best interests already, so it would be a conflict of interest to work on behalf of both of you. Retain your own divorce lawyer so that your legal counsel is working in your best interests only.
With the divorce rate being so high, chances are you already know someone who has gone through a divorce. Ask your friends and family if they can recommend a divorce lawyer who was particularly good at this time in their own lives.
You will be dealing very closely with your divorce lawyer during a difficult time in your life, so it’s important to choose one you can not only work with, but one whose fees are acceptable to you and your budget. Always make sure to compare several different divorce lawyers prior to making your decision about which one will handle your case.