How to Choose a Divorce Attorney in San Diego

Going through a divorce is not easy, and it might be difficult to know where to turn. Apart from the divorce being emotionally overbearing, you may not have the right experience with the legal ins and outs of the divorce process.

For this reason, you need a good divorce lawyer on your side to help you make the best decisions about your divorce.

No two divorce cases are the same since they are often wrought with financial, legal, and emotional complexities. As such, you need a professional divorce attorney who will be involved with your case from start to finish to make sure the divorce agreement is fair to you.

But there’s a lot more to hiring a divorce attorney than just running your fingers through ads on the yellow pages and hiring the first divorce lawyer you find. To make the search a lot easier for you, here’s a list of tips to help you know what to look for in a divorce attorney in San Diego.

1. Factor in Their Experience

Attorneys practice across different fields of law. However, don’t hire a lawyer just because they helped you sue your employer.

You need to hire a lawyer with the right experience in matrimonial or family law if you want to avoid a long, stretched-out financial and emotional nightmare divorce process. A well-experienced divorce lawyer will understand the kind of situation you’re in, will address all your concerns, and will prepare strategically for litigation if need be.

2. What’s Your Budget?

As you would with any significant financial decision, you need to consider the cost of hiring the lawyer. Keep in mind that hiring an expensive lawyer doesn’t really guarantee professional legal services. Similarly, choosing an affordable lawyer doesn’t mean you’ve made a reasonable decision.

That said, the best approach is to understand your budget and work within that range. Note that most divorce attorneys charge hourly, but there are often exceptions to that rule.

3. Look at Their Success Record

A divorce lawyer’s success rate is an essential factor to consider. This is especially important in cases where you can’t settle outside of court, and litigation seems like a strong possibility.

As you interview your ideal divorce lawyer, ask them about their previous cases and try to find out about their courtroom success. Try to find out if they’re good at negotiating to make sure you have the best odds of getting a favorable outcome.

The Bottom Line

The outcome of your divorce proceedings will have a tremendous impact on the course of your life. This is true in cases where there’s a lot of property or kids involved. As such, the divorce lawyer you hire might be the most crucial decision you’ll make throughout the divorce process.

However, note that divorce attorneys are not therapists, no matter how experienced or professional they might be. Don’t ask the lawyer if or not you should get the divorce. That is a personal decision that your lawyer cannot and should not help you decide.