by Elaine M. Doxie

Created on: January 01, 2011   Last Updated: January 04, 2011

While it is ideal if a couple can divorce without having to hire lawyers, this is not always possible. This is especially true in high conflict situations where there are battles over either money, children or both. In these situations, it is necessary to look for a lawyer that will work with you and get you what you need from your divorce. There are certain factors that are very important to finding the best divorce lawyer for you. Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind when looking for a divorce lawyer.

*Track record

When you are looking for a divorce lawyer, it is important to look at their track record and see how many cases they have won. Most divorces do not wind up going to trial, but in the rare cases that they do, you want a lawyer who is going to win your case and not lay down on the job, or not know what they are doing if they have to win a trial.

*Rapport

You want to find an attorney that you have a good rapport with and feel comfortable talking to. This is important, because through the divorce process, your lawyer is essentially going to be your best friend. This is going to be the person you confide all the misdeeds of your ex spouse in and they have to be someone that you feel like is listening to you, and that you feel comfortable talking to. If you do not feel comfortable talking to them, you may not be able to give them the full story of everything that happened and in the long run, they may not believe you. This can hurt your case.

*They must believe in you and your case

There may be some divorce lawyers that you meet that just don't seem to believe a word that you tell them, even though you are being 100% truthful. A lawyer that doesn't believe you may be worse than not having a lawyer at all. Not only will they not be helpful, they may actually be harmful to your case. They don't necessarily sabotage you on purpose, but if they don't believe in you, it can be hard to convince anyone else to believe in you. It's similar to trying to sell a product that you don't believe in. You can say the words, but there is no passion behind them to actually sell the product.

*They must be affordable

Even if a lawyer has all of the other qualifications, you have to be able to afford them. Some of them will offer payment options, and this will help them to be more affordable, but you still do have to keep costs in mind. There may even be situations where you are able to find an attorney willing to do pro bono work for you, meaning that they will not charge you at all. No matter what payment arrangements are made, it will have to be something that you can do easily.

If you find a lawyer that has a proven track record, you have a good rapport with, believes in you, and is affordable, this is the lawyer that you will want to hire. Hiring a good lawyer can make the difference between being happy with the outcome of your divorce, and getting railroaded in court, so choose carefully. If you find at any time that your lawyer is not working up to the standards that you expect, don't be afraid to discuss it with your lawyer and fire him or her if necessary.

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