How to Find a Good Divorce Attorney

Divorce is something that one should not take lightly. It would take a lot of time, effort and money to process it. A person planning to get a divorce should be physically, emotionally and financially ready. That is why it is best to look for a good divorce attorney who can assist in every step of the very taxing process.

However, finding the right lawyer could be another very exhausting thing to do. You need to interview them if they specialize divorce and family law, the kinds of clients they represent and most especially their rates for the services they will render especially when you are on a tight budget. It should also be clear to you the role of your attorney in the whole divorce process. You need to do a lot of research to make yourself familiar with legal terms. There are so many things to consider most importantly the welfare of your children (if you have). Good thing there are a lot of ways to look for a good divorce attorney nowadays. Let me share some tips to help you get started.

Ask family and friends

There’s no one else who knows you better than your friends and family. Ask them if they know of a divorce lawyer who can help you with your predicament. Referral system is an effective and safe way to look for an attorney because your friends and family will always want what’s best for you. They would definitely recommend someone they know and trust. You may also include your colleagues whom you trust and who have already experienced filing a divorce case as they would be honest in their feedback.

Support groups

There are local support groups out there for people who are divorced or are experiencing the same marital problems as you that can also help. They can recommend a good and reliable attorney for you based on their experience and also give you support in this difficult time in your life. You can surely learn a lot from them and benefit from their personal experiences.

Lawyers you know

You might know of someone who is a lawyer that might give good recommendations for you. His or her classmate in law school maybe is now a very good divorce attorney or anyone from his or her circle of lawyer friends, a colleague or associate, who have legal knowledge on this matter and who have handled quite a number of divorce cases already. With the network of lawyers that he or she knows, there are many possibilities and all you need is one good attorney. Just ask and he or she might be of great help.

Lawyers can also direct you to use state bar directories which offer tools in finding divorce attorneys such as Americanbar.org. They have access to these kinds of organizations and resources so this might lead you to the kind of lawyer that you need.

Social Media

Getting a divorce is somehow a very sensitive and private issue. However, if you are comfortable posting this to your social media accounts like facebook, you actually can do crowdsourcing and you will be surprised by the number of people who will respond to your post. This is a fast way to search for good attorneys recommended by persons you know. Just make sure that the lawyer you choose respects you and acts according to the professional ethics or standards of the industry. Someone who listens and is sincere in his service as your attorney.

Online search engines

As things are getting techier nowadays, you can always use search engines such as Google or Yahoo to search for an attorney near your location. Just type in the key words like “divorce attorney near (your place)” and the search engine will do all the searching for you in just one click. However, if there’s only little to choose from in your area, you may broaden your search by including cities near your place. A list of search results will automatically appear and you might be overwhelmed with the hundreds of results. So take time to check out the websites. Be aware of red flags such as making too many promises or divulging confidential information about other people’s cases or people you may know. He or she might also do the same thing to you. Do some research about the lawyers or firms before you choose.

Online database

Searching on an online lawyer database is a great option, there are many platforms online that have a directory of attorneys and most of these are free and user-friendly too. One good example is Avvo. You can view and search for top-rated attorneys based on the parameters that you specify such as your location and the type of attorney that you need. You can also view ratings, client reviews and disciplinary records of lawyers in every state which is very helpful in finding the right lawyer.

Library

The old-fashioned way of searching for any kind of information is by going to a local library. You may ask help from the librarian to search for books about divorce and family law written by lawyers in your area. Who knows, the librarian himself might already have a list of divorce attorneys at hand.

There may be other ways of finding a very good and reliable divorce attorney however these tips that I have shared may already be enough and effective for you. Remember, you only need to find one good and reliable divorce attorney that can help you and your family in this time of distress. Do some research and interviews. Moreover, be realistic, know your objectives of finding a divorce attorney and stay positive that you will find someone who can represent you to the best of his or her ability. Look for someone who is knowledgeable, professional, trust-worthy and who can communicate and handle well the matters that need to be settled. The choice is yours. Stay focused on your goal. I hope this article will help you save time and money in finding a good divorce attorney.