Your family is the most important thing in your life. Whether you are facing a divorce or a custody battle or a child support dispute, you want to have the “right” attorney by your side through this very difficult process. So, how do you decide? Here are some tips:
- Meet with the attorney. You need to meet with your attorney face to face before you retain him/her. In that meeting you can gauge level of comfort, ability, experience, etc. A telephone conversation says a lot but an in-person meeting will assess these things much better.
- Talk to more than one attorney. You may like an attorney until you meet with someone else and realize that a different personality or game plan satisfies your goals better. Don’t shop around but meet with at least two people before deciding on your choice of attorney.
- Don’t base your decision on cost. Choosing a particular attorney because he is “cheaper” is a very bad method of choosing an attorney. Lawyers charge based upon experience and ability. A higher cost attorney typically is higher cost because she can achieve good results, she has experience, she has a great reputation with the Court. While finances are always an important consideration, faith and belief in your attorney is much more important during those stressful times of your case.
When I meet with a potential client that I truly believe needs an attorney, my parting words are always something similar to this: “You need an attorney for your case. It isn’t something that you want to work on alone. You need to find the person that makes you feel comfortable, informed and secure. If I am not that person, that is okay. I appreciate that. This is your life. You find the person that you feel will guide you the best and be by your side in the way that you want through this process.” That is really the way to find your attorney.
