No couple ever wants to face a separation situation, but since life’s uncertainty prevails with all aspects of life, a divorce is one such unexpected event.
While undergoing the emotional turmoil, another aspect that becomes a cause of worry is how to hire a lawyer that can ensure a faster and smooth divorce process through separation agreements.
Well, getting the right divorce lawyer on board would not be stressful if you pay attention to the following tips –
Consider your divorce process.
Knowing the kind of divorce you want to file is the first step in your process. You have options of mediation, litigation, collaborative or cooperative divorce. If your divorce involves huge conflicts and disagreements on your spouse’s terms, then a litigation lawyer would be required. Whereas in mediation and cooperative divorce, an out-of-court settlement is done using mediation referral services to bring both side parties into agreement.
Knowing the type of your divorce will help you in choosing the lawyer who is experienced with it.
Take recommendations
After identifying your divorce type, you should start looking out for a recommendation from your family member, friend, or colleague who has recently gone through a successful divorce. Talk to them and ask what kind of experience they had and how well the prospective lawyer handled their case.
You can also talk to your general lawyer and ask for any references. Working with referrals is a great way of saving your time and effort.
Inquire about the reputation
Hiring a reputable lawyer who has been in the same line of services for a long time is always recommended. It would help if you had the assistance of someone who has served many cases and works regularly. The lawyers handling divorce cases every couple of years should be struck off from your list right away.
While you are stuck with all sorts of ambiguities and confusion, hiring a reliable and expert lawyer would ensure a quick and smooth divorce without you having to worry much.
Look at the previous track record.
No lawyer can win every case every time. Most lawyers lose one or two cases a year, but it shouldn’t become a judging factor while consulting them. A few failures on record don’t imply that the lawyer is not experienced.
However, if the lawyer has a history of losing, you should reconsider your decision and look out for another experienced practitioner.
Consult multiple lawyers
While visiting multiple lawyers and explaining your situation over and over again may sound highly tiresome. Still, it will be totally worth all your efforts to get the right kind of consultation in hand and figure your next step.
Different lawyers will give you different perspectives. This will help you view the situation from different angles and identify with which approach you will be most comfortable with.
It will also help you in comparing the fees charged by each of them and calculate if it will be appropriate as per your existing finances or not.