Hiring an experienced and competent divorce attorney can be instrumental in helping you to navigate the divorce process and get you the result you are looking for. When looking to hire a divorce attorney there are several things that you should evaluate during the process. This blog will help you identify four key factors to consider when making this important decision.
- Experience: Experience tops the list, it is critically important that the divorce attorney you choose has the skills, competency, and experience necessary to handle your particular divorce. Each divorce is unique, and certain divorce attorneys are likely to be better situated to handle particular aspects of your divorce (i.e. is it a military divorce, a divorce involving a small business, or are there unique custody issues at play). One good indicator of this is the percentage of time that the attorney devotes to family law, if an attorney only handles one or two divorce actions a year, they may not be as focused on family law as another attorney.
- What is the Attorney’s Philosophy: Different attorneys will have different approaches to handling a divorce action. Some attorneys will focus more on reaching a settlement short of trial through compromise, whereas another attorney will take every matter through to a trial. If you are looking to reach a settlement short of trial, and you believe that is a realistic expectation, an attorney whose philosophy includes taking every matter through to trial will likely be a poor fit for you.
- What Additional Resources does the Attorney have at their Disposal: If you are dealing with a highly complex divorce that involves the distribution of jointly owned companies or complex real estate issues, a firm that has attorneys specializing in these areas can provide additional value. By leveraging the resources of the firm collectively, you can better position yourself to reach a positive result.
- Ability to Communicate: This is often times one of the most important aspects in selecting your divorce attorney. Communication means not only that your attorney promptly answer questions you have and keeps you informed of current case proceedings, but also how comfortable are you interacting with them. To ensure that your attorney has the most complete information, you will need to be very candid on issues ranging from finances to ongoing relationships. If you are not comfortable opening up to an attorney about some of these issues, it is likely a sign that a particular attorney is not a good fit for you personally.
Picking the right attorney for you is a great way to ensure that your divorce goes as smoothly as possible. Addressing the four factors listed above will help you make that correct pick. To speak to a divorce attorney, call our Sioux Falls, Sioux City, or Omaha office today.