Your divorce lawyer plays an critical role in the divorce process. Your lawyer helps sets the tone and pace of the divorce, and provides key assistance shaping your post-divorce future. As you choose your lawyer, consider that hiring the wrong person can have dire consequences on your finances, the amount of time you spend with your child and your entitlement to certain property. Even if you feel anxious to hire a lawyer as quickly as possible, it's smarter to take your time and review your alternatives carefully.
Step 1
Obtain recommendations. The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers advises to start your search for a divorce lawyer by seeking recommendations from family, friends, acquaintances, or even other professionals and organizations. Even though you'll still need to interview the candidate yourself, you can find out much about the lawyer's qualifications, style and personality by asking the referring person about his experience with the lawyer.
Step 2
Schedule interviews with the candidates. You should never hire an attorney without thoroughly interviewing her first. According to Divorce Source, many divorce lawyers offer a free initial telephone consultation or have reduced rates for an preliminary meeting. Take advantage of these financial incentives so that you can meet with as many lawyers as necessary. If you don't know whether a lawyer offers reduced rates for the first meeting, be sure to ask.
Step 3
Ask the right questions. Your divorce lawyer should be well-experienced in family law, and should have handled or assisted with numerous recent divorce cases. During the interview, you'll want to assess the lawyer's experience by asking questions, such as how long he has been practicing law, how many divorce cases she has handled, whether he specializes in particular areas, such as child custody or alimony, and to describe his three most challenging cases and how she handled them. You should also ask about fees, his perceptions of the challenges in your case, and who else, besides him, would be working on your case.
Step 4
Select the lawyer that best meets your needs. In considering which lawyer can best represent you, think about how well each lawyer interacted with you, listened to you, responded to your questions and explained the divorce process. You'll want to choose a lawyer with ample experience but whose personality meshed well with yours.
Step 5
Sign a retainer agreement. The retainer agreement is a contract between you and your lawyer. The agreement usually explains the lawyer-client relationship and your responsibilities toward one another. It should also describe your lawyer's hourly rates and those of her staff, how often she will bill you, how expenses shall be paid, and other billing practices and conditions. Review the retainer agreement carefully and ask your lawyer to clarify any questions you have before signing it.
