Divorce can be a complicated process. You may need to divide assets with your former spouse or come to an agreement regarding custody of your children. You should hire an attorney to ensure you understand the proceedings and get the best results. Here are five tips for hiring a divorce lawyer.
1. Hire in Your Area
You should hire an attorney who practices in your local area because he or she will have the most comprehensive knowledge of your jurisdiction’s legal regulations and precedents. Hiring a local lawyer also means you won’t need to spend more time than necessary commuting to and from the law firm’s offices or pay extra fees for the attorney’s travel expenses. For example, if you live in Knoxville, TN, look for a Knoxville divorce lawyer.
2. Conduct Research
Your first step should be to research attorneys in your area. You can do this online by searching for divorce lawyers who work near your address. Once you have a list of potential attorneys, look for reviews and testimonials from previous clients and study each firm’s website. If you’ve never hired an attorney before, you should also learn the basics of how divorce proceedings work and how lawyers are involved.
3. Ask for Recommendations
Talk to your social circle and see if anyone you know has hired a divorce lawyer before. Anyone you know who has done so may be able to recommend an attorney. A friend or family member should be able to tell you how well the lawyer handled his or her case, whether he or she felt comfortable and well-represented and how much the attorney’s services cost. Remember, not everyone is comfortable recommending attorneys’ services and not every recommendation will work for you.
4. Conduct Interviews With Potential Lawyers
Before you hire a lawyer, check whether he or she offers free consultations or allows potential clients to ask questions over the phone. Ask what the lawyer thinks of your case and whether he or she has any similar experience. Discuss potential outcomes and how likely the attorney thinks those outcomes are. You should also ask how long you can expect a typical case like yours to take and how much it may cost. The goal of an interview is to gather information you may not get from studying the firm’s website and see whether you feel comfortable with this attorney.
5. Check the Attorney’s Credentials
Always check a lawyer’s credentials before agreeing to work with him or her. He or she should have a license to practice in your jurisdiction and a record of his or her practice. You can contact your state’s bar association to access this information. You should also check whether the attorney is a member of any professional organizations and where he or she received his or her law degree. Many lawyers make such information available on their law firms’ websites.
Divorce lawyers have specialized knowledge of and experience in divorce and family law. Make sure the attorney you hire practices divorce law and has demonstrable experience in the field.
Read Also: Reasons for Hiring Divorce Lawyers
