Legal tips: how to find a divorce lawyer

Dealing with the end of a marriage is a difficult process, both emotionally and financially. Decisions made during the divorce process can have a long-term impact on many areas of your life. It is for this reason that you will likely decide to hire a lawyer to help you with the process.

Like most people, you probably do not file for divorce on a regular basis. This means that you may not have the name and telephone number of a divorce lawyer in your address book. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to locate a good lawyer.

Ask Friends and Family for Referrals

The best way to find a lawyer of any type is to ask your friends and family members to help. Divorce is so common that most of us know someone who has gone through the process. Ask your friends and family members if they have used a good divorce lawyer, or if they know someone who has.

Getting references from people that you know and trust is the best way to find a lawyer who can understand your particular circumstances. If the attorney has handled cases for people with your background or financial situation, the attorney is more likely to do a good job for you. This does not necessarily mean that you should hire a family member whose specialty is insurance or personal injury law. You need an attorney who specializes in divorce, not just someone who is willing to handle your case for free because you are family.

Check with Your Employer

If you can’t locate a divorce lawyer through friends and family members, the next place that you should look is the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by your employer. Many employers have these programs in place. EAPs usually provide confidential referrals to attorneys and other service providers, and they often provide a discount on the services performed.

Your employer may also offer access to employer-sponsored legal services. These arrangements may be set up in one of two ways. In the first, your employer may subsidize all or a portion of your legal fees as long as you use specified legal providers. In the other, you may have the opportunity to join a legal services program in which you pay a set premium in order to receive a certain level of legal services throughout the year. Either of these options may be a good fit for you.

Contact Your State Bar Association

If you can’t locate a divorce attorney through personal or employer connections, your next step should be to contact your state bar association. Each state has one of these organizations for lawyers, and most provide referrals for potential clients. The bar association will refer you to an attorney in your location who is licensed to practice in the state and who specializes in divorce law.

Review the Lawyer’s Qualifications

Once you have located a potential lawyer, you should make sure that the lawyer is a good fit for you. Your attorney should have experience handling the divorces of people in similar circumstances as you. Your attorney’s fees should be fully disclosed and acceptable to you. Finally, you should make sure that you feel comfortable with your lawyer. You will be sharing a great deal of personal and private information with your attorney, and that process will be much easier if you can establish a connection with him or her.

Going through a divorce can be very difficult. Having a good attorney on your side can make all the difference in your experience. By using all the resources at your disposal, you should be able to locate a lawyer who can guide you through the process and help you get the results that you are looking for.