In the event that a divorce appears on the horizon, choosing a divorce attorney can be a daunting task. It is one of those situations when you wish you could include a competent attorney among your friends. This is, after all, dealing with an intimate, emotional, significant segment of your life. Trusting a total stranger to the task is unsettling.
If you do have such a friend, you are fortunate. Most people do not have the advantage, and if they do, and the attorney happens to be a mutual friend to both parties, one or both may end up disappointed because the friend may decide he or she is too close to the situation to serve the best interests of just one of you.
How do you choose a competent divorce attorney? There may be a long list of credentials to look for, but they can be reduced to three basics: quality of service, delivery of results and affordability.
1. Quality of service. Just as in any other enterprise, there are quality products and services, and there are mediocre counterparts. While it is usually true that you get what you pay for (more about that aspect later), there are still economies of scale, but if you find a cheap attorney and he renders poor quality of service, you've been burned twice. Ask for references from the attorney, and ask friends who have been through the ordeal for recommendations.
Does the attorney listen without distraction, keep clients informed, become a true advocate covering all aspects of your disrupted life?
2. Delivery of results. Any divorce attorney worth hiring will have demonstrated experience in all phases of the divorce proceedings from development of the case to its presentation in court to final disposition. Experience is not restricted to the courtroom drama, although court experience is a must. How well does the attorney work with people? Is he or she a problem solver? This is a key attribute, so ask about it. At the root of divorce are problems. If the attorney does not demonstrate experience with solving problems, what good will he/she serve?
This factor is the essential qualifier and the one that will have the most benefit by making inquiries with past clients relative to the service delivered to them. Knowing that divorce is usually going to mean compromise, getting what you want may not be the best measure of delivery because an equitable disposition of property is going to be the court's assessment of a fair settlement. What do you need, not necessarily what you want? Can the attorney deliver needs?
3. Affordability. Unfortunately, this is a significant factor. It will likely not be free and it could be bank-breaking. You must know your budget and advise any prospective attorney up front, then insist on keeping to it. Billable hours are nebulous considerations for some attorneys, but it is not unreasonable to advise of intent to and ask for periodic accounting during the process.
If you do have such a friend, you are fortunate. Most people do not have the advantage, and if they do, and the attorney happens to be a mutual friend to both parties, one or both may end up disappointed because the friend may decide he or she is too close to the situation to serve the best interests of just one of you.
How do you choose a competent divorce attorney? There may be a long list of credentials to look for, but they can be reduced to three basics: quality of service, delivery of results and affordability.
1. Quality of service. Just as in any other enterprise, there are quality products and services, and there are mediocre counterparts. While it is usually true that you get what you pay for (more about that aspect later), there are still economies of scale, but if you find a cheap attorney and he renders poor quality of service, you've been burned twice. Ask for references from the attorney, and ask friends who have been through the ordeal for recommendations.
Does the attorney listen without distraction, keep clients informed, become a true advocate covering all aspects of your disrupted life?
2. Delivery of results. Any divorce attorney worth hiring will have demonstrated experience in all phases of the divorce proceedings from development of the case to its presentation in court to final disposition. Experience is not restricted to the courtroom drama, although court experience is a must. How well does the attorney work with people? Is he or she a problem solver? This is a key attribute, so ask about it. At the root of divorce are problems. If the attorney does not demonstrate experience with solving problems, what good will he/she serve?
This factor is the essential qualifier and the one that will have the most benefit by making inquiries with past clients relative to the service delivered to them. Knowing that divorce is usually going to mean compromise, getting what you want may not be the best measure of delivery because an equitable disposition of property is going to be the court's assessment of a fair settlement. What do you need, not necessarily what you want? Can the attorney deliver needs?
3. Affordability. Unfortunately, this is a significant factor. It will likely not be free and it could be bank-breaking. You must know your budget and advise any prospective attorney up front, then insist on keeping to it. Billable hours are nebulous considerations for some attorneys, but it is not unreasonable to advise of intent to and ask for periodic accounting during the process.
SHARE
