How To Hire A Utah Divorce Lawyer
Going through a divorce is an emotional, expensive, and stressful experience. Finding the right divorce lawyer can make a huge difference in easing some of the stress and uncertainty.
A typical retainer for an attorney to take on your divorce case is usually thousands of dollars. Here are some steps to help you research the best possible representation for your money.
Qualifications
There are several things to consider when looking at qualifications of a Utah divorce lawyer:
- Experience – How long they’ve been practicing family law in Utah.
- Focus – Do they specialize in divorce and family law, or are they a general lawyer also doing DUI, criminal, and bankruptcy cases?
- Law School – Did they go to a respected law school or a less reputable school?
- Bar Standing – Are they in good standing with the Utah State Bar. Do they have a history of complaints filed against them?
Reviews
While researching potential candidates to hire as your lawyer, be sure to check their Google Places entry and look for reviews from previous clients. Due to the difficulty of the divorce experience, clients are less likely to rave about good experiences with their divorce attorney than perhaps they would with other professional services. Usually a frustrated client is more motivated to take the time to login and leave negative feedback. If a family law attorney has more positive than negative reviews, that is generally a good sign that he or she may be a good candidate.
Reputation
One of the most critical factors is a lawyers reputation within the legal community. You may feel that you want to hire an “aggressive” attorney, and some even advertise themselves as being aggressive. However, a reputation as being aggressive is often a warning sign that this lawyer is difficult to get along with and other lawyers and maybe even judges have a hard time working with them.
The most expensive part of a divorce is going through a trial. Good attorneys have a reputation for settling the vast majority of their cases before going to trial saving their clients thousands of dollars in legal fees. Attorneys with a poor reputation or an aggressive attitude often lack the finesse and skills to get what they want for their clients and often end up with many more cases going to trial than settling.
Responsiveness
One of the most frequent complaints clients have of their attorneys is that it takes forever for them to return their messages. Divorce lawyers often have dozens of active cases and have a difficult time keeping up with client communications.
Find a law firm that has adequate support staff and case management technology to keep everything organized. Ask your potential attorney how many business days it will take to get back to you when you contact them.
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