Getting a divorce is often a painful experience. It can be particularly painful when children are involved. If there are disputes regarding custody, you’ll need the assistance of a skilled family law attorney to optimize your chances of securing a desirable outcome.
You may not know where to start when interviewing lawyers you’re thinking about hiring. Don’t worry if that’s the case. The following tips will help. If you need to hire a family law attorney, look for one with these essential qualities:
Communication
It’s important to understand that attorneys are busy professionals who are often working with several clients at a single time. It’s unreasonable to expect an attorney to be available to respond to you right away at all hours of the day.
However, when reaching out to various candidates, you should expect a certain degree of promptness and thorough communication. If you have genuine concerns about the amount of time it takes for a lawyer’s office to respond to your queries, or if you feel the responses you get are rushed, it’s best to look elsewhere.
Experience
Naturally, you want to prioritize experience when choosing any type of attorney. That said, even if an attorney has some experience handling family law cases, such may not be what their firm typically handles. It’s not uncommon for law firms to occasionally take on cases outside of the areas in which they primarily specialize.
Your goal is to find a family law attorney who has practiced family law extensively. In these circumstances, you want to choose one who also can demonstrate a thorough understanding of child custody laws in your state. You don’t want to hire someone who rarely works with clients like yourself.
Honesty
A skilled family law attorney can help you resolve a difficult situation in a manner that satisfies you. Just know that an honest attorney can’t promise to deliver specific results. They can say they believe certain results are achievable, but they can’t make any guarantees. If a lawyer seems as though they’re making promises simply because they want your business, you probably shouldn’t trust them.
Positive Testimonials and Reviews
An attorney may not be able to discuss the specific details of past cases due to attorney-client privilege. Still, if they genuinely do right by their clients, they should be able to provide some testimonials from said clients indicating they’re qualified to handle your case.
Be aware, though, even less-than-skilled attorneys sometimes manage to please a few clients every now and then. The fact that a lawyer has a few positive testimonials to share doesn’t guarantee they’re fit to serve your needs.
To get a better sense of whether a family law attorney can deliver ideal results, seek out reviews on other platforms where they can’t control what past clients do and don’t say about them.
Comfort
Your lawyer is serving you during what may be a very challenging and painful time in your life. You want to feel as comfortable as possible working with them.
Don’t underestimate the importance of this factor. Yes, your main priority should be hiring a skilled and experienced lawyer with a track record of success. However, if several of your candidates otherwise appear to be equally qualified to serve you, the best one for the job may be the one with which you feel most comfortable discussing your case.
Just remember that your attorney can play a critical role in whether you get custody of your children. It’s imperative that you choose the right one. Doing so will be easier if you keep these tips in mind.
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