How to Hire a Divorce Lawyer

Divorce is not something most married couples ever plan on; yet the divorce rate in this country affects almost half of the people married for the first time. Whether a divorce is amicable or complicated, it requires an attorney. Here are some tips for hiring a good divorce lawyer.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Go to the Martindale website to find a good divorce attorney in your area. Martindale has been considered one of the best resources for information on the legal profession for over a century. Their website has a way for you to locate a divorce attorney in your area.
2. Use the Internet to find a local attorney referral center. Choose an association that is sanctioned or run by the bar association of your state. Call or email the referral center and tell them you are looking for a divorce lawyer.
3. Look up personal websites for for divorce lawyers on the Internet. The websites should have a section that educates you about divorce law, tells you what to expect when you go through a divorce and should clearly explain the billing practices and responsibilities of the divorce lawyer.
4. Confirm that your attorney will conduct the kind of divorce you want. If the divorce lawyer is extremely ambitious and competitive, and you are looking for an amicable divorce, he may not be the right lawyer for you.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the attorney has spent a lot of time in a courtroom. Many attorneys settle cases out of court and are not skilled or comfortable in a courtroom.
• Make sure the attorney is board certified.
• You are probably going to have to share intimate information with the attorney, so make sure you are comfortable personally with the lawyer.
• Most attorneys you contact from an attorney referral service will meet with you for 1/2 hour to one hour for a minimum fee.
• Lawyers are charging you by the minute, so refrain from using your divorce lawyer as a psychologist. Attorneys having a saying for this: "That's why they call us counselors-at-law."