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- The Best Family Law Attorney Should Be Someone You Trust and Like.
- The Best Divorce Lawyer Should Have Experience Handling Your Type of Case.
- Ask for Recommendations but Make Your Own Decision.
- Ask the Attorney About Trial Experience.
- Look for an Attorney with an Understandable Fee Structure.
- Talk to the Family Law Attorneys at Colburn Hintze Maletta
If you are dealing with a family issue in Phoenix, Arizona, you will likely need to retain a family law attorney. However, you will likely find that there are many different attorneys practicing in Phoenix, and might not know how to narrow down your decision to find the attorney who will work best for you.
Choosing the best family law attorney to represent you can make a difference in the outcome of your case while also helping you through the emotional process.
The best divorce lawyer or the best child custody lawyer should be someone who takes your concerns seriously and listens to you with empathy. The best family law attorney should be committed to helping you achieve a good resolution to the issues in your case so that you can move forward with your life once the legal proceedings are over.
Whether you are searching for the best divorce lawyer or the best child custody lawyer, here are five tips for how to find the best family law attorney to handle your case.
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5 Tips for Picking the Best Family Law Attorney – Why Choose CHM
1. The Best Family Law Attorney Should Be Someone You Trust and Like.
When you retain a lawyer to handle your family law matter, you will work closely with them throughout the case. You will likely need to tell your lawyer things that might be sensitive or embarrassing and that you would rather not have to disclose to anyone. This makes it important that you find a lawyer whom you can trust.
You will have to talk to your lawyer frequently, and you’ll also need to understand what your lawyer explains to you about your case and how the law applies.
When you meet with a potential attorney, pay attention to how they communicate with you. Ask yourself whether the lawyer listens to what you have to say and avoids interrupting you. A good attorney should ask you detailed questions about your situation so that they can gain a better understanding of the issues you are facing.
They should also be able to explain the law and how it applies in easily understandable language and treat you with respect. If you notice that an attorney interrupts you or doesn’t listen to what you are saying, you should trust your gut and choose someone else.
When you interview a prospective lawyer, consider the following things:
- Whether you get along with the attorney and have a good personality match
- The attorney’s communication methods and promptness in responding to inquiries
- Whether the attorney can work within your budget
- How the office staff and paralegals treat you
- Whether the lawyer will personally handle your case or hand it off to a junior associate
When you hire a family lawyer, you will be working with them closely for months. If you retain someone you dislike, an already difficult divorce or child custody dispute can be even harder to deal with.
2. The Best Divorce Lawyer Should Have Experience Handling Your Type of Case.
Many attorneys focus on different areas of the law. If you are ending your marriage, the best divorce lawyer to handle your case should have significant experience with handling your specific type of case. For example, you wouldn’t want to hire a great personal injury attorney to handle your divorce. While that lawyer might be a great person to hire if you are seriously injured in an accident, they might not know the particular laws that apply to divorce and other family law matters.
Similarly, the best child custody lawyer should be someone who has experience with handling cases involving issues similar to yours.
Ask a prospective lawyer about how long they have practiced family law and whether they have handled other cases with similarities to yours.
3. Ask for Recommendations but Make Your Own Decision.
Asking co-workers, family members, and friends for their recommendations is a place you can begin your search for the best child custody lawyer or best divorce attorney. You can also check online directories to identify local law firms that practice family law and read attorney reviews of different law firms to get an idea.
Regardless of where you first obtained information about a potential attorney, you shouldn’t make a hiring decision until you have taken the time to meet with them.
Every family law case is unique, and your needs will likely be different than those of your family members or friends who have hired family lawyers in the past. You should also read online reviews with a critical eye. In some cases, you might have trouble distinguishing between real and fake reviews.
4. Ask the Attorney About Trial Experience.
Thankfully, most family law cases settle outside of court. However, there are certain situations in which going to trial might be necessary. For example, if you are unable to negotiate a settlement agreement with your estranged spouse or domestic violence was involved in your relationship, you might need to litigate the outstanding issues in your case at a divorce or child custody trial.
Some attorneys who practice family law have never litigated cases at trial. You will want to find a lawyer who is prepared to take your case to trial and represent your interests if court litigation is necessary to resolve the issues in your case.
Ask the attorney you are considering about their trial experience, including the number of cases they have taken to trial and what the outcomes were.
In family law matters, settlement and litigation experience are equally important. You need to find an attorney who is just as comfortable in the courtroom as they are in settlement negotiations. In addition to asking a potential lawyer about their trial experience, ask them about their experience in handling negotiations through alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation or collaborative divorce.
Ideally, the right attorney to handle your case will have both significant trial experience and settlement experience. If your attorney can negotiate a fair settlement in your family law case, it can help to save time and money for you.
However, if a settlement is unreachable, you’ll want to have an attorney who is willing and able to fight for your rights in court.
5. Look for an Attorney with an Understandable Fee Structure.
Family law cases can quickly become expensive. The attorney you consider should be able to explain their fee structure to you upfront in a way that you understand.
Ask your lawyer if they charge an hourly rate, a retainer, or a flat fee for your type of case.
If they use an hourly rate, ask how they break down their billing so that you understand when you might be charged. Your lawyer may be able to estimate a ballpark figure of what your case might cost, so be sure to ask so that you know what to expect.
Talk to the Family Law Attorneys at Colburn Hintze Maletta
Colburn Hintze Maletta are award-winning family law attorneys renowned in the Arizona legal community for their tenacity and dedication in and out of court.
When you become a client of CHM Law, we provide you with the most effective legal representation to obtain the desired outcome.
If you are searching for the best family law attorney to handle your case, schedule a free consultation with Colburn Hintze Maletta to learn how our lawyers can help you. Contact us today for a free consultation by calling (602) 825-2500.
Attorney Darin Colburn has experienced first-hand just how difficult going through a family law matter such as divorce is when his parents divorced when he was 6 years old. Twenty years later, he has devoted his entire legal career to helping those facing similar issues. Darin attended the University of Arizona and graduated Cum Laude from the Eller College of Management. Darin is an experienced trial attorney that excels in high-net-worth divorce, complex business valuations, and messy child custody disputes.
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