How Do You Know You’re Picking a Good Divorce Attorney?

Choosing a divorce lawyer can be a complex decision. If you are going through a divorce, remember that a good divorce attorney:

Has experience
Manages expectations
Communicates often and well
Is transparent about pricing and fees
Does not make you uncomfortable in any way

Deciding to end a marriage is a difficult decision. No matter whether you have been married for decades or are ending things after just a few years, you are making a massive shift in your entire lifestyle. You are likely to be experiencing a wide range of emotions, some of them conflicting: anger, fear, uncertainty, animosity, relief, excitement, or even complete detachment.

Added to that is the often-complicated process of choosing the right lawyer to represent you through the process. With so many family attorneys out there, how will you know you are picking the right one?

Below are a few traits that all good divorce attorneys have in common and why you should look for a lawyer who exhibits all of these characteristics to help you navigate this stressful time.

A Good Divorce Attorney Has Experience

The first thing to be on the lookout for when choosing a divorce lawyer is experience. A good divorce attorney has a track record of success in handling divorce cases. Clients who work with experienced divorce attorneys see countless advantages in their divorce proceedings:

An experienced attorney knows the court systems and the people involved and has built good relationships with the court officials who will be working on your case.
In handling numerous previous divorces, a good divorce attorney has seen many of the tactics that your spouse’s attorney might use, knows the landmines to avoid, and can better anticipate and prevent complications.
Before committing you to a long, expensive, and nerve-wracking trek through litigation, an experienced attorney will use their skills as negotiators to try to achieve your desired outcome through less expensive, less stressful options like mediation.

Above all, an experienced lawyer has seen it before and can help you process unexpected developments. They can help calm your fears and give you an honest evaluation of whether things are going well and when it’s time to worry.

A Good Divorce Attorney Manages Expectations

One of the biggest red flags when choosing a lawyer to handle your divorce is an attorney who promises you that they will get the results you are looking for or offers any guaranteed outcome. Lawyers who make those kinds of claims are more interested in collecting your retainer fee than they are in fighting for your best possible outcome.

When you meet with a good divorce attorney, they will listen carefully to what you want to get out of your divorce agreement. They will then give you an honest and conservative assessment of what you can reasonably expect from the process. If your expectations are too high, they will work to help you understand why your desired outcome may not be attainable. They will also speak up if your expectations are too low and guide you toward a settlement that better reflects your rights in the divorce.

Either way, as your divorce proceeds through the various stages and as new information comes to light, a good divorce attorney will keep you updated when your expectations may need to be adjusted along the way. Above all, your divorce lawyer should never offer you false hope or guarantee a specific outcome; there are too many variables in a divorce case to ever speak with absolute certainty.

A Good Divorce Attorney Communicates

A divorce can be a fraught time in your life. If there is any dispute over the distribution of property, custody of the children, or even over the fact of the divorce itself, you may be feeling a considerable level of anxiety and doubt concerning your future. Uncertainty about the current state of your divorce only adds to that anxiety.

A good divorce attorney will regularly communicate with you whenever there is an update in the case. They will be responsive when you call with questions and concerns. When they talk to you about the legal issues surrounding your divorce, they will do so in a way you can understand and make sure that you have a good grasp on what’s happening throughout the entire process.

Ideally, you want a divorce lawyer who is willing to communicate through a channel that works for you. If your attorney is available via phone, email, and text, you should not have any problem connecting with them whenever you need to discuss your divorce.

A Good Divorce Attorney Is Affordable

Notice that we did not say that a good divorce attorney is inexpensive. What we mean here is that you should look for is an attorney who is honest, open, and entirely upfront about how much their representation costs.

While there is always the possibility of an unexpected development causing the price to go up, a good divorce attorney will be able to provide you with details about their fee structure during your first meeting:

A total breakdown of how fees are calculated
Required retainer amounts
Hourly billing rates
Additional expenses that could arise

A good divorce attorney will also offer you solutions that can make your divorce less expensive. Mediation and negotiation are practices that cost considerably less than litigation, and your lawyer should suggest starting with these lower-cost options before moving to a costly courtroom battle.

A Good Divorce Attorney Makes You Comfortable

Regardless of how amicable your divorce is, you will still be spending a good bit of time with your divorce attorney, navigating the court filings and other documents, reviewing the divorce agreement, and making sure that things stay moving through the process. It is crucial that you are comfortable with your divorce attorney and their staff.

When you are meeting with a divorce attorney, and something feels wrong to you about them, it is always a good idea to trust that instinct. Even if your bad feeling is just a personality mismatch, that discomfort you are feeling will reduce the amount of trust you have in your counsel, making meetings and conversations difficult. At worst, discomfort with your attorney can cause you to make rash, impulsive decisions to avoid having to spend more time dealing with your lawyer.

At the end of the day, this is one trait of a good attorney that you must determine; there is no “gold standard” or rubric for determining comfort. The most experienced, communicative, affordable attorney who does a great job managing expectations is not a good divorce attorney if they make you uncomfortable in any way.

Preparing to Go Through a Divorce? We Can Help: Call EMC Family Law Today!

Your divorce is too important to trust to anyone less than the best. Our attorneys offer trusted, helpful legal guidance through every step of any divorce, no matter how contentious or complicated. Give us a call and let us guide you through your next steps: 770-225-7000

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