How to Hire the Right Lawyer for Your Divorce

Divorce is difficult, but it can be made harder if you hire the wrong lawyer. If you want your divorce proceedings to be fast and inexpensive, do not settle for the first lawyer you find. You need to do some careful research by following the following steps:

1. Have a goal

You will be looking to get some property or money. Note down what you want.

Align your attorney as to what kind of settlement you are looking for; it should be his job to bring sense to your goals. Your goals might be realistic or unrealistic or maybe even understated.

2. Do your research

Start your research on the internet and list down all the potential lawyers who can represent you. Only narrow down to the ones who have the most experience in divorce settlements. You might want to contact a St. Louis divorce lawyer during your research.

The advantage of internet searches is that you can normally get reviews from real people who have dealt with the said lawyers.

You should look for the following qualifications:

• Has a reputation for successfully settling past divorce cases
• Can guide you through the process
• A good communicator and negotiator
• Is creative at gathering evidence that will help your case
• Can formulate different winning strategies based on his experience dealing with the different judges

3. Interview all the potential attorneys and pick only the best

After you have narrowed down on the potential lawyers, give them a call and set up a face to face meeting with them.

Insist on seeing the specific attorney that would handle your case should you decide to hire them. Grill him or her as much as possible and when you are done, let him or her know that you will be contacting other lawyers and you will decide in a few days.

Be keen to look for the following signs as they will help you eliminate the bad candidates:

• Is the lawyer overpromising what he or she can do for you? Exaggerated promises are risky for you as this only means your lawyer might not deliver. You are looking for someone who’s realistic.
• Is careless with other clients’ information. You need an ethical lawyer who will have respect for you and who upholds confidentiality very seriously.
• Bad mouths other law firms. This is probably just to get hired. You need a lawyer who gets hired based on their own merit and not by demeaning other people.
• Picks phone calls or answers emails during your meeting. You need someone who is focused on you.

4. Get into the habit of cutting to the chase

Once you have settled on the right lawyer, get down to work immediately. Your attorney’s job is to get you a settlement and he should be able to do this in the shortest time possible.

Always cut to the chase, especially since you will be paying your lawyer at an hourly rate. This way, you will know that every meeting you have has a goal and by the time the meeting is over, you are clear on what the next steps are.

With the above simple steps, your divorce battle ahead is bound to be much shorter and easier.

About the author

David Trezeguet is an accomplished St. Louis divorce attorney with over 16 years’ experience in his career. He has handled many divorce cases and settlements over the years and has a lot of insight to offer on the best alternatives in the divorce process. Visit his site to read more.

 

Tags: Divorce, Family law, Marriage

Category: Family Finances