Finding an attorney is easy enough in the age of Google. But when you need a family lawyer, not just anyone will do. To begin your search, you must understand how to find a good family lawyer.
Once you know more about what makes a good attorney, you still need to narrow down how to choose a family law attorney from the potential candidates.
At the Law Office of Pamela C. Bratcher, we have decades of experience in family law. We have seen lawyers and legal issues of all types, and we hope we can offer insights to help you select the best lawyer for you.
1. Determine Your Priorities
Whether you are hiring a family lawyer for the first time or looking for a change, think through what is most important to you in an attorney-client relationship.
Different attorneys have different styles and methods that mesh better with specific individuals. We offer some questions exploring how to find a family law attorney who will work well with you below.
Communication style and methods:
- How do you prefer to discuss serious issues?
- Do you prefer straightforward, direct communication?
- How often would you prefer to talk with your lawyer?
- How soon do you expect a return communication?
- Do you prefer to interact face-to-face, by phone, or by email?
Availability:
- When can you meet to discuss your case?
- How much time do you have to devote to it?
- What does the attorney’s caseload look like?
- What do their firm’s resources look like?
- Where is the attorney’s office located?
Cost:
- Does the attorney offer free consultations?
- What is their fee structure?
- How much are you willing to pay?
Experience, knowledge, and legal philosophy:
- How important is it that your attorney has successfully handled cases like yours before?
- Does the lawyer appear knowledgeable about their practice area?
- Does the lawyer understand the things you need help with?
- Does the lawyer prefer settling, mediation, or going to court?
Keep a list of your priorities and prepare to adapt it as you learn more about the available options.
2. Do Online Research
Spend some time on your preferred search engine looking up nearby family lawyers. As you browse, consider in what ways the lawyers appear able to meet your needs. You can learn a lot through a firm’s website if it has one. Review firm history, attorney bios, and practice area pages. Check out the lawyer’s blog and read about case results.
3. Ask for Recommendations
Not much compares to a recommendation from a trusted friend or family member. Be sure to ask whether your recommender truly felt the lawyer did a good job and, if they did, what made the experience positive. Ask how the lawyer might meet your needs from the recommender’s perspective.
4. Meet with a Lawyer
Contact the lawyer or lawyers you identify as potential candidates to set up a meeting. Come prepared with questions to understand how they can meet your needs and weigh how the scheduling and initial consultation work against your priorities.
Schedule an Initial Consultation
Hopefully, you now feel more confident about how to find a good family lawyer. However, nothing compares to meeting face-to-face to truly understand how to find the best family law attorney for you.
Reach out today to set up a free consultation with Pamela Bratcher, a straightforward family lawyer with decades of experience.