Divorces don’t always end the same way. Some end with both parties being friends while some end in catastrophes. The kind of divorce attorneys you hire plays a big role in the kind of ending you get. Before making a final decision on hiring someone, there are things you need to consider to try and ensure the best possible outcome from your divorce proceedings.
Choosing Divorce Attorneys
Divorce Process
Divorces may proceed in many different directions with some of them being friendly and others being less so. If you’re a fan of ending things with your spouse amicably, then you should hire divorce attorneys who can do that for you rather than someone who tends to escalate matters. Alternatively, if your spouse already started escalating, they haven’t really left you much of a choice.
Money and Assets
How much you own in terms of assets should affect how much you pay for a lawyer. People who own large companies or lots of property should look to hire more expensive lawyers from big firms. The reason is that there’s simply too much at stake here. Spending a lot of money on a lawyer isn’t much when compared to losing your property and assets.
At the same time, don’t spend above your budget. If you can’t afford to pay someone $300/hour then you really shouldn’t. Don’t be cheap either. Some people decide to handle their divorces on their own in order to save money. This is a terrible idea that could seriously backfire and leave you in regret.
Word of Mouth
Whether you’re trying to hire a lawyer, plumber, or a doctor, word of mouth will always play a big role in helping you decide. Internet reviews can’t be trusted as much and nothing else will be as accurate as word of mouth.
Ask around and talk to the people whom you know who have been through a divorce. Those who had excellent attorneys won’t stop bragging about them so you’ll be sure to know. In contrast, people who hired terrible a divorce attorney will do everything they can to stop you from repeating their mistake and hiring the same people. Trust what your friends and family have to say based on experience as they’re often right.
Hire a Specialist
Clearly the best lawyer you can hire is one who only works on divorce cases, thus making them a specialist. No one will be able to help you more than someone who has only been doing divorces for the past three years or so. Specialists might not be available if you live in a small town or they might be too expensive.
The next best thing is an attorney who isn’t necessarily specialized in divorce cases, but handles them a lot. Sure, they can work on other cases too, but they still handle several divorces per year meaning they know all about them and what to do. Basically, your best option is a specialist, followed by someone with experience in divorce, even if they work on other kinds of cases as well. These are the divorce attorneys you should hire.