Find a Divorce Attorney

Find a divorce attorney: Finding the right divorce attorney can be challenging to say the least. Finding out that your spouse wants a divorce(or finally telling your partner you want out) is devastating enough. You are overwhelmed by all the decisions to be made and in a fog about separating out a lifetime of assets you built together.

Now, on top of all that, you have to go searching for a divorce lawyer! Where do you look? You can ask your friends for a referral, but maybe they haven't been through a divorce. What about co-workers? But perhaps you aren't ready to let people at work know you are getting divorced. I've seen clients come to my office devastated by the process of meeting with divorce attorneys who are too pushy, too dismissive, unable to understand what you want, or require huge retainers. So many questions and so few answers1 Here are some suggestions to make this process a little easier for you in finding the best divorce lawyer for you:

Ask friends or family for referrals. While it's perfectly fine and can be very helpful to ask around for a name of an attorney, don't take this name as the "end all, be all" and settle on this lawyer just because your friend did. Each marriage is unique and complex in its own way, and each divorce will be different as well. Don't just ask for a name, find out what their divorce was like. What issue's did they have? How did their attorney deal with them? Did they feel safe with this lawyer? Did they feel this divorce attorney was looking out for your friend's best interests or in lining their own pocketbooks?

Ask a coworker for a refernce of a divorce attorney. If you know someone in your office is going through, or has gone through a divorce and has talked about it openly with you, then it is perfectly ok to 'sask them for a lawyer's name. One client of mine felt his attorney kept telling him not to argue any points saying, "Take the high road!". My client, who tends to avoid confrontation, became uneasy with this request as his wife began demanding more and more assets and full custody of their child. Joe* started talking with a friend and coworker who was going through a divorce as well. She was very happy with her divorce attorney's work and ability to look out for her interests. She gave Joe his number to call and Joe was very happy he changed lawyers.

*Names have been changed to protect anonymity.

Consult with several divorce attorneys, don't just pick the first one in the phone book. Just because your best friend tells you, "This is the best guy ever!". always get a second opinion. Divorce lawyers are like therapists. Each one has their own personality, and while they might be perfect for your best friend who is going through a horrible, difficult divorce, they might not be right for you, who may expect things to go more smoothly. It is ok to look around, talk to 2 to 3 attorneys on the phone, and ask a lot of questions. How do they deal with difficult spouses? What is their philosophy about the divorce process? How much do they charge? What fee is required upfront? Describe your situation and what you hope to happen and ask them if this is something they can do.

The internet can be a powerful tool in finding the right divorce attorney If you don't know of anyone who can refer you to the right lawyer, use the internet to search out some divorce lawyers in your area. I wish you luck in finding the best divorce lawyer for you!

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