what makes a good divorce lawyer

What is Important to Know About Any Divorce Lawyer You Think of Hiring

nelsonda General Divorce , , , , ,

Of all the things you have to consider about different divorce lawyers you meet with or are referred to, one of the issues you should definitely weigh is whether or not they have trial experience. Although it might seem as if all divorce proceedings are more or less the same, few things could be further from the truth. In fact, things become very different for a divorce lawyer when it’s no longer a matter of simply negotiating and it’s time to present your case in front of a judge.

Once that step is taken, a number of different things can happen that change the divorce from a legal and practical standpoint:

In court, issues surrounding the divorce can become heated. Often, a divorce only ends up in trial because the parties involved have been unable to negotiate an arrangement that everyone considers to be equitable and reasonable. At that point, face-to-face exchanges and back-and-forth arguments can become more prevalent, making it more difficult to achieve any real progress or find a resolution.

When that happens, a good divorce attorney will help you calm down, manage the situation, and keep working toward the issues you have identified as your biggest priorities.

An experienced divorce attorney will be able to better work with different judges and tactics. Every court case is affected by the different personalities involved, and it’s no different with the legal side of the divorce. Knowing a bit about the judges, other attorneys, and tactics that come up in court – and how they are likely to play out – can be an enormous advantage.

Having a divorce lawyer who is experienced in the courtroom can give you the edge in a situation where the outcome is incredibly important.

Your divorce attorney might suggest that you keep your case out of court. There are some situations where your best course of action is simply to avoid taking your divorce to court altogether and finding other ways to reach an agreement. When you have a divorce attorney who is experienced in a variety of different situations, including trial, they can help you spot the opportunities to protect your interests, as well as the best times to pursue different avenues.

In other words, a great divorce attorney won’t put you into a fight you can’t win, and will advise you well in advance of what your reasonable options are to prevent you from the bigger losses that might come during a trial.

Once divorce proceedings move into court, everything changes and the dynamic of the case becomes entirely different. That can be an opportunity for you to protect your money and interests, or it could mean that things are going in the wrong direction, depending on your situation and the quality of your legal representation. Remember that, and be sure to ask about a divorce attorney’s trial experience before you entrust a big portion of your future with them.

Do you need an experienced divorce attorney to stand up for you in negotiations with your spouse? Contact us at 414-258-1644 or visit our website for further information.

3 Questions to Ask a Divorce Lawyer Before You Hire Them

nelsonda Divorce Attorneys, General Divorce , , , , , , , ,

Going through a divorce can be a difficult and painful process. It’s made even worse by the fact that most people aren’t emotionally or financially ready to handle what’s ahead – even if they are the ones filing for divorce from their spouse. Nonetheless, finding the right divorce attorney is an absolutely critical decision, and one you don’t want to put off any longer than you have to.

With the right divorce lawyer on your side, you can stand a good chance of achieving a fair resolution and protecting that which you are legally entitled to. With the wrong divorce lawyer, however, you could find yourself in the midst of a long struggle that leaves you dealing with unintended consequences for the rest of your life.

Because this is such an enormous decision, it’s important that you do the right kinds of research. Here are three questions to ask a divorce lawyer before you hire them:

How many clients have you represented as a divorce lawyer in the past?

Although experience isn’t everything, it’s important for your divorce lawyer to have a sense of the way things work, and several past cases to draw lessons and insights from. Additionally, having a divorce lawyer with lots of experience allows you to take a closer look at their previous track record and see what they’ve been able to achieve for other clients in the past.

There isn’t any set amount of experience that’s perfect for a divorce lawyer, but be careful working with anyone who hasn’t been practicing for at least a few years or more. Given that the outcome of the proceedings will affect you, your finances, and your family for a very long time, you probably don’t want to entrust the job to someone without a little history behind them.

Who is your perfect client?

Because divorce is such a personal and multifaceted process, there are divorce attorneys who specialize in different types of cases, situations, and even clients. And so, the chances are very good that you could find a divorce lawyer in your area who has helped lots of other people who were in a situation similar to yours in the past.

Ask about your divorce lawyer’s perfect client, because the answer will tell you what sort of situations they are most familiar with – and the ones where they are most likely to get the results you are hoping for.  Also, ask your attorney how you can help and what types of things you can do to assist in the process.  You should be able to have input and control into your own case.  This will save you attorneys fees and give you greater satisfaction with the end result.  Your attorney should welcome your assistance and your input.  After all, it is your life and you have to live with the results.

How will you handle my case?

Depending on the reputation, schedule, and experience of your divorce lawyer, he or she may maintain a very small staff with a couple of executive assistants, or a very large one with several junior attorneys in the office. Neither of those is necessarily better, but it is good to find out from the outset how much of your case will be handled personally by your divorce lawyer, and how much will be assigned to other members of the team.

You should ask your attorney how they will communicate with you, what you should expect in terms of procedure and how things work in general.  You should also ask how quickly your attorney can respond to your questions and/or what happens if they are in court or you can’t get in touch with them.  Communication is key and you need to know up front how this will be handled.

Lastly, you should find out if your attorney will work cooperatively with the other party or his or her attorney or if they plan on litigating from the beginning.  You should decide the answer to this question – not your attorney.  Everyone has different expectations in their divorce and how they want their case to be handled.  Your attorney is working for you and in your best interest.  Sometimes what you want is not necessarily in your best interests, however, and you should feel comfortable listening to your attorney’s advice on this.

Even the most amicable divorces are rarely easy, from a legal standpoint or an emotional one. For that reason, you need to have the right divorce lawyer on your side.

If you have questions about the divorce process, or just want to meet with a divorce lawyer call us at 414-258-1644 to set up a free initial consultation today.  You can also visit our website for more information.

5 Signs You Need a New Divorce Lawyer

nelsonda Divorce Attorneys, General Divorce , , , , ,

It’s unfortunate, but not every divorce lawyer is a great one, and there are attorneys out there who are more interested in collecting an hourly fee than they are in properly representing your interests while you legally separate from your spouse. And even beyond that, not every good divorce attorney is a great match for a particular client or situation for reasons that have to do with their background, fees, personality, or other details.

The bottom line is that sometimes you need to divorce yourself from a lawyer or law firm before you can get on with the business of divorcing from your spouse. Here are five signs you need to find a new divorce lawyer:

1. Your divorce lawyer doesn’t have enough experience. Going through a divorce could turn out to be the most significant legal and financial process you ever undertake, and one that will likely affect every day for the rest of your life. With that in mind, you want someone with years of experience in divorce law representing you, not a person who is still making a name for themselves.

2. Your divorce lawyer doesn’t ask many questions. No two divorce situations are identical, and your priorities (like keeping certain assets or maintaining child custody and placement) might be different from the ones other people had in the past. Because of that, it’s important to have a divorce lawyer that asks a lot of questions, so they can properly represent you. If they don’t, it’s time to move on.

3. Your divorce lawyer can’t remember you or your case.  Do you feel like you are re-inventing the wheel every time you talk to your divorce lawyer?  Do they forget your name or the major facts of your case (like whether you even have children)?  While your lawyer can’t be expected to remember every detail at all times, they should at least retain the basic facts of your case.  Even better, they remember most of the facts of your case.  If they don’t, they either have too many cases or a terrible memory or don’t care.  Either way, that is not good for you or your case.

4. You rarely see or hear from your divorce lawyer. Depending on the size of the law firm handling your divorce, you may spend a lot of time talking to junior attorneys, paralegals, and office assistants. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s also important that you have access to your divorce lawyer when you need to meet with him or her. If they can’t ever make time to speak with you, then you might consider taking your case elsewhere.

5. Your divorce lawyer stirs up emotional arguments. A good divorce lawyer will help you stay calm and measured throughout the legal process. If you find that your attorney regularly speaks in a way that makes you feel heated, then it might not be a good match, since overly emotional thinking during a divorce often leads to a longer negotiating time frame… not to mention decisions that you might regret later.

Your divorce is too important to trust to the wrong legal team, so if you spot one of these warning signs, consider looking elsewhere for representation.

If you need a great divorce lawyer to help protect your interests, why not call us at 414-258-1644 to set up an appointment with one of our attorneys today?  For more information, also see our website.