When hiring an attorney to represent you in a divorce, make sure you do your due diligence. Get recommendations from people you trust and try to talk to others who have hired that lawyer to find out what their experience was like. Attorneys, whether good or not, generally charge about the same amount. However, just because an attorney charges less per hour does not necessarily mean that is the best lawyer for you. It may cost you more in the long run if that lawyer does not do what he or she needs to do to pursue your rights. Talk to more than one attorney before deciding who to hire. You will be working closely with this attorney and their staff and you need to be comfortable with, and trust, who you hire.
Once you hire a lawyer, be open to listening to their advice. While you may have gotten a lot of “this is what happened in my divorce” type of advice from co-workers, friends and family, that does not mean anything when it comes to your divorce. Each divorce is unique and the lawyer will be able to evaluate the facts of your situation and give you advice on the likely outcome in your case. Listen to your actual lawyer, not “armchair lawyers.” On the other hand, if your lawyer is not returning your calls or satisfactorily answering your questions, then consider finding a new attorney. While you may not like the advice or answers your lawyer is giving you and while things will undoubtedly take longer to accomplish that you would like, the least you can and should expect from a lawyer is that he/she will return phone calls and respond to emails in a prompt fashion. You and your lawyer should confer at the outset as to what your goals are and develop a plan for accomplishing those goals.
On behalf of Hughes White Colbo & Tervooren, LLC posted on Thursday, May 11, 2017.