When considering a divorce, you are not only looking for a way to end your marriage but also someone to help you through the process as your divorce lawyer. It can seem overwhelming with all of the options out there, but with a flexible process and understanding what you want in your attorney, you can select the right attorney for you and your divorce.
Consider What Is Important to You
When looking for divorce lawyers, a great way to begin is to think about your goals for your divorce and the type of approach you would like. Some questions to ask yourself when setting your standards should include:
- What type of tone would you like your attorney to use? Do you want someone aggressive or compassionate?
- How would you like to be treated by your attorney? Do you want someone that’s no-nonsense or someone more soft-spoken?
- What are you looking for in a divorce? What goals or expectations do you have?
- What are your priorities in your divorce?
By creating a full-frame view of your divorce, you can then begin the search for your attorney that checks off your wants and needs in your divorce.
Start With a Search
When looking for a divorce lawyer, you may want to begin with an online search. Look for family law or divorce attorneys in your area online, with terms such as “divorce lawyers in Pasadena” or “divorce lawyers near me.” Look at reviews and their website, taking note of which ones you would like to reach out to.
If you have friends who have gone through a divorce, you may want to ask them for recommendations on attorneys unless you would rather keep your divorce private. They may have guidance about their own divorce attorneys or about the opposing counsel. With this guidance, you can build a list of attorneys you would like to have an initial case consultation with.
Schedule Case Consultations
Reach out to the attorneys you are interested in and schedule a case consultation to learn more about how they would approach your case. We suggest scheduling between two and five case consultations because we feel that scheduling less than two sticks you with an option you may not love and more than five can be overwhelming to choose from.
Take Notes
At your case consultation, take notes about each attorney and their approach. Make sure to write down their goals for your case and what you notice about them. Common notes that you should write down include:
- How you felt around them
- How you feel about their approach to your case
- Basic outline of their approach
- Any questions you have about their representation
- Any general thoughts about your consultation
Taking notes about your consultations may help you as you make your decisions in the future. At each consultation, enter with an open mind, as each attorney will have different approaches and ideas for your divorce case. Listen carefully to what each team says and note how you feel about both what they are saying and how they are saying it.
Make Your Decision
Take an afternoon and sit down with your notes to select your divorce attorney. Read all of your notes carefully and try to decide if there is one lawyer or firm you liked most out of the group. If you are unable to make this decision easily, take the time to weigh your options. When making your decision, you may consider the financial affordability, treatment and care of the attorneys, approach, and if they align with your divorce goals.
After making your decision, make sure to reach out to the preferred law firm to schedule another appointment to formally begin your divorce.
Pasadena Divorce Attorney
The team at Law Offices of Christopher L. Hoglin, P.C. understands that filing for divorce is a difficult time and we want to make the process easier for you. With our representation, you can rest assured that your case is in good hands.
Are you considering filing for divorce but unsure where to start? Call us today at (626) 653-4075 or contact us online to schedule an initial consultation with our compassionate team to learn more about how we can help you during your divorce.