Deciding to divorce your spouse isn’t easy, and it requires immense determination and drive to get your desired outcome. But when faced with the complexities of the legal system, it can be difficult to take on this challenge alone.
That’s why it’s best to hire a divorce attorney who can help you by providing guidance and encouragement throughout the process. But how do you select the right Henderson divorce lawyer for your needs? To help you make the right choice, here are a few things to consider when selecting your preferred option.
Know What Type of Divorce You’re Getting
When seeking out the services of a divorce attorney, it’s important that you have a clear understanding of what you’re looking for. For this, you’ll need some basic information about divorce to describe your circumstances.
- If you and your spouse don’t agree on aspects such as child custody, asset division, and alimony, it’s a contested divorce.
- When you’re on friendly terms with your soon-to-be ex-spouse and can negotiate the terms of the divorce, there’s no need to take your case to court. This is an uncontested divorce.
- Suppose you or your spouse are ending the marriage due to reasons like abandonment, mental illness, or adultery. In an at-fault divorce, the fault is placed on one spouse, and they commit wrongdoing.
- If neither party has committed wrongdoing, but you want to separate because of irreconcilable differences, then it’s a no-fault divorce.
- If you don’t have any children or shared assets with your spouse, summary divorce is suitable.
Your needs can differ depending on whether you’re the at-fault spouse or the one making the claim. It’s best to attend a consultation with a divorce attorney and discuss your circumstances. Knowing if they have relevant experience in handling similar cases will give you the confidence to pursue your case.
Ask Them the Right Questions
Before you can hire a divorce lawyer, you want to know if they’re suitable to take on your case. For a better understanding of how effectively your attorney can help you, ask them questions about their practice. For instance, how many cases like yours have they practiced? You can also ask them:
- An estimate of how much your divorce case will cost
- Any recommendations to help you reach a faster resolution
- How many cases did they handle that needed to go to trial
- How many years they have been practicing divorce law in the area
It’s best to hire someone who has a few years of experience in handling similar cases, an extensive process for reaching a resolution, and an affordable per-hour rate. Needless to say, they should also have the confidence to take your case to trial if need be.
Know Your Budget
Divorce can be costly, with the average cost ranging between $7,000 and $23,300. The average per-hour rate of divorce attorneys is around $270, but that alone doesn’t determine the overall cost of your divorce. Rather, the biggest factors influencing your overall cost are the duration of your divorce and whether your case goes to trial.
Can They Help Reduce Your Costs?
In addition to asking your lawyer about their per-hour rate, it’s best to ask how they can help reduce your costs. Keep in mind that people who took the divorce to trial instead of negotiating a settlement faced higher costs by about 70 percent.
To cut down on overall costs, you can hire a divorce attorney with a task-based billing system. It means that they’ll only handle certain aspects of your case, such as negotiating with the other party and representing you in court if need be. Meanwhile, other routine tasks are handled by paralegals. When your lawyer delegates tasks, it helps keep costs low as opposed to when they handle the entire process.
Choose Someone With Local Experience
There are many advantages to hiring a local family attorney who has practiced in the area for a couple of years. One of the benefits is that they’ll be close by, making it easier to hold in-person meetings or discussions. Not to mention, they’ll be familiar with your county’s divorce laws, judges, and other officials.
By hiring a local divorce attorney, you’re able to practice alternative dispute resolution methods like mediation with ease.
Assess Their Communication
If it’s your first time getting a divorce, it’s likely that there are a lot of things you don’t know. In this situation, you want a professional who doesn’t just tell you what to do but tries to educate you. If you’re someone who values open communication, you’ll want to hire a divorce attorney who responds quickly to your emails and calls.
Determine Whether You Feel Comfortable
Though experience and qualifications matter, remember that your divorce attorney is someone you have to discuss very personal information with. This can include marital issues regarding abuse, intimacy, and other aspects that could have led to your divorce. So, you want to make sure that the person sitting in front of you is someone you’re comfortable with.
Honesty and Transparency
When you’re heading into a divorce, it’s best to hire an expert who’s honest with you. When they tell you upfront whether or not something is possible in a divorce, it allows you to make an informed decision. It’s always better to hear the truth instead of what you want to hear because it helps you set realistic expectations. But if an attorney promises your desired outcome without really understanding your case, it’s best to check out a few other options.
Conclusion
Divorce is a difficult process, but it doesn’t need to go on longer than necessary. Hiring an experienced attorney helps you finalize the process quickly, which allows you to focus on healing. It’s best to choose a local divorce lawyer with experience in similar cases and excellent communication skills. They should be honest and comfortable to talk to so you can make informed decisions based on their guidance.
