Are you looking for a family law attorney to represent you? It is difficult to know how to choose an attorney, especially if you have never done it before. Family law attorneys in particular need to have certain characteristics and qualifications in order to be the best candidate for you. Criminal defense lawyers or drunk driving attorneys are one thing but family law attorneys are a different breed. Here are a few things that you can keep in mind when you are searching through your local attorneys. Keep in mind that you need to be the one to make the final decision but hopefully these ideas will get you on the right thinking path.
They need to specialize in the area of your situation.
Most lawyers have a specialty. There are so many different kinds of lawyers that it can be difficult to know which one to choose. During your initial interview with your top choices, don’t be afraid to ask how many times they have dealt with a situation like yours. If they seem to think that you case is extremely unique and have never encountered anything like it before, you might not want to be their guinea pig. Of course, everyone has to start somewhere but you would be better off finding a lawyer that has been through something like this before.
They need to know how to deal with children properly.
They work with families. If they do not know how to deal with children, what is the point of working with families. You might have decided to leave your children at home for the initial interview with the lawyers but it might actually be a better idea to bring them. Then you can see how the lawyer interacts with kids and if he or she even knows what to do when they are around. If your children are a little older, take their opinion into account. If they just really do not like the attorney after you have interviewed them then do not just brush it off. Kids have no reason to doubt their instincts and they are usually right.
They should have good reviews from past clients.
If you think that you like a particular lawyer, look them up online. You should be able to find reviews from past clients that will let you know how they did or did not enjoy working with a particular lawyer. Look at the negative aspects and see if that is something that you could deal with. If not, there is nothing wrong with moving on to the next lawyer on your list. You do not want to end up with someone that works in a very different manner than you would like them to.
They should have connections and relationships that can help your cause.
Knowing judges and other lawyers in the industry could be helpful to your cause. While your particular judge may not be able to give advice, others may. If your lawyer does not have any connections, you might ask why not? You do not want to end up in a court room with a judge that has it out for your lawyer. While judges are supposed to be impartial they are also human and sometimes emotions play in to deciding factors as unfortunate as that is.
If you can follow these five tips then you should be able to find a family law attorney that is going to do right by you. The most important thing is that you can trust your lawyer. There is no point in taking some to court to represent you if you do not even trust that they can or will do a good job. Keep in mind that cheaper is not always better, especially when it comes to hiring a lawyer. In fact, it is almost never better. Having said that, hiring the most expensive lawyer just because they are expensive does not mean that they are going to be the best either. You have to interview your choices and make sure that you click with them and that they fit your criteria as well as price range before you sign any contracts. Ask all of the questions that you want and do not hold back.
