Comparing Divorce Lawyers: How to Evaluate and Choose the Right Fit

If you are going through a divorce, you’ll need a good divorce lawyer by your side. Choosing a divorce lawyer who’s most capable of representing you should be your priority when facing an imminent divorce. If you are living in Michigan, then you have a plethora of options at your disposal.

A quick Google search for – ‘best divorce lawyers near me’ will get you a boatload of names. While the sheer number of options is great, this also makes the prospect of finding ideal legal representation sort of challenging.

The decision-making process can be overwhelming, especially when you have an emotionally straining divorce to deal with. So, in this article, we want to share a few tips that you can consider, ensuring you are making the right decision with who ends up representing you.

So, without much further ado, let’s dive in.

Things to Consider When Evaluating Divorce Lawyers or Law Firms

1. Expertise in Family Law

This is a no-brainer. The very first thing one must consider when looking for a lawyer is their level of expertise. You need a lawyer who specializes in the field of divorce and other aspects of family law. You need a lawyer who possesses a strong record representing clients in divorce cases.

They must understand divorce laws thoroughly, especially those specific to the state they reside in. You can expect a lawyer with specific experience handling divorce cases to be well-versed in the laws associated with the proceedings. They’ll be able to better consult you on the right you possess and the route you can take to yield a favorable outcome.

2. Reputation

The best way to assess whether a lawyer will come through for you is to validate their reputation. When you are researching potential lawyers to hire, we suggest researching a bit about their reputation. There are many things you can do to verify a lawyer’s reputation. You can start by going through the reviews they’ve earned online from past and current clients.

Some even showcase client testimonials on their website. Perhaps the best way to verify a lawyer’s reputation is by getting referrals from close family members and friends. Look for patterns in reviews. You can filter the online Google reviews based on communication, price, and mediation skills. Go with a lawyer with a substantial number of positive reviews to their name.

3. Communication

If there is one skill that a lawyer must possess, it is that of an effective communicator. You need a lawyer that is eloquent, concise, and does not use legal jargon when communicating with clients. You also want them to be aggressive and meticulous with their speech when negotiating terms of divorce with the other party.

We suggest evaluating a lawyer’s communication style during your initial meeting with them. Try to assess whether they are attentive to you, how they explain certain divorce-related laws, and how they respond to your queries. The best divorce lawyer will be the one who listens to you patiently and conveys what your rights and options are.

4. The Billing Structure

This is where most folks find themselves in a bind. Many people refuse to seek legal aid because they fear it’ll be expensive. While it is true, the cost of not having quality legal representation will be considerably devastating. Fortunately, there are law firms and lawyers out there that offer a flexible billing structure to their clients.

However, you need to ensure that they are transparent about their fees from the initial meeting itself. Ask questions about the fees that’ll be charged, the structure you’ll need to adhere to, and any additional costs that you’ll incur. The lawyers must have a clear answer to all of these questions.

5. Availability

Most divorce cases require you to respond promptly. As such, you need a lawyer who’ll be around to serve you whenever needed. Therefore, you must inquire about their availability and accessibility. Divorce lawyers with a heavy caseload are best avoided.

Go with lawyers who respond to your calls and emails promptly. If they are absent for whatever reason, ensure they have staff ready to address your concerns on the lawyer’s behalf. Remember a divorce can be pretty stressful. So, you need a lawyer who’ll be available to you throughout the proceedings.

6. Litigation and Negotiation

While some lawyers are excellent negotiators, others are seasoned when it comes to litigation. The best of the bunch are of course those that can do both exceptionally well. A lawyer who negotiates a fair settlement outside court is an ideal option that can save you time and money. However, sometimes negotiations fail.

This is when you’ll need the lawyer to be prepared for a fight in court. A good divorce lawyer in my opinion is one who can amicably negotiate outside of court and can also aggressively advocate in your best interests during a trial as well.

7. Ethical Standards

Another factor to compare lawyers by is their ethical record. You want to work with a lawyer that adheres to the highest ethical standards possible. A person with a blot on their record is probably not going to serve in your best interests.

To determine whether a lawyer is ethical in his or her practice, you can use the state’s bar association records. You can rely on these records to inquire whether a lawyer has faced any disciplinary action in the past.

8. Overall Compatibility

You’ll get an overall sense of comfort and compatibility during your initial meeting with the lawyer. This is where we suggest you go with your instincts. Check whether you feel comfortable sharing certain details about your life with the lawyer. If talking to them inspires confidence in you, then they are probably the best choice for you.

It is important to go with a lawyer that you feel comfortable around. That can only happen if the lawyer showcases compassion in the way they respond to your situation.

9. Success Record

While we don’t believe past performance is a guaranteed indicator of future success, it is quite close. A lawyer’s track record will provide you with good insight into how effective they’ve been in handling cases similar to yours in the past. So, we recommend going through the lawyer’s track record.

A lawyer who possesses a long history of yielding positive results for their clients is your best bet during a divorce proceeding.

Conclusion

Choosing the right lawyer for the job is important if you wish to yield an outcome that falls in your favor. You’ll need to carefully consider multiple factors like experience, reputation, cost, communication style, and track record to ensure you are making the right decision.

The lawyer you end up choosing will play an instrumental role in how your divorce proceeding fares. As such, we suggest investing the time and research necessary to find the perfect lawyer to represent you in a divorce proceeding.

Alternatively, you can simply give us at The Law Offices of Sean Patrick Cox a call. We are usually the first name that pops up when you Google – ‘best divorce lawyers near me’.

Call now to learn more.