California Info
California Divorce
Start Your Divorce
Find Professionals
California Articles
Divorce Facts
Divorce Grounds
Residency
Divorce Laws
Mediation/Counseling
Divorce Process
Legal Separation
Annulments
Property Division
Alimony
Child Custody
Child Support
Divorce Forms
Process Service
Grandparent Rights
California Articles
Agreements
Attorney Relationship
Custody & Visitation
Child Support
Collaborative Law
Counseling
Divorce/General
Domestic Abuse
Domestic Partnership
Financial Planning
Foreign Divorce
Mediation
Parenting
Property Division
Spousal Support
Info Categories
Contemplating Divorce
Children & Divorce
Divorce, Dollars & Debt
Divorce Laws
Divorce Process
Divorce Negotiation
More Information
Articles Checklists Research Center Cases of Interest Dictionary Encyclopedia Encyclopedia (pop-up) Blogs
For Professionals
Advertise With Us Free Network Page Join Our Network Submit Articles Sign In Network Sites
|
Qualifications to Consider in Hiring Your Lawyer
Assuming that you have several prospective divorce lawyers in mind to handle your divorce or custody case, you must investigate the qualifications of each attorney. Before investigating the qualifications of your candidates, you would be wise to set the bar on the minimum qualifications that are acceptable to you. An attorney's qualifications in the following 5 areas will help you in your investigation:
Percentage of practice devoted to family law
An attorney's percentage of practice devoted to family law will help you assess how much experience and expertise he or she has with divorce and custody-related issues. An attorney whose practice is 100% devoted to family law issues, such as divorce and custody, will likely have more expertise and familiarity with handling such cases than an attorney who also spends time practicing in other areas.
Years of experience
An attorney is often valued by the number of years of experience that he or she has in a particular area of law. The more years of experience an attorney has in family law, the more that he or she can typically demand in fees. Further, the more years of experience an attorney has with divorce or custody cases, the more likely that he or she has worked on a case similar to yours, and can thus advise you on what you can likely expect and what the costs will be.
Certified specialist
Some states allow attorneys to become certified as a family law specialist. An attorney may seek to become a certified family law specialist by demonstrating extensive experience and testing in the field of family law. There are certainly attorneys with experience and expertise in family law who have not sought to become a certified family law specialist, and remember that the certification is not available in all states. Attorneys that advertise themselves as "certified specialists" may demand a higher fee.
Education
The fact that an attorney graduated from a prestigious law school does not necessarily guarantee that he or she is more qualified and more experienced in the field of family law than an attorney who graduated from a less prestigious school. The law school is, however, something to consider, because it may demonstrate how serious, dedicated, and committed the attorney was to his/her education. Additionally, some attorneys may have additional education qualifying them in such areas as accounting or psychology. You will need to determine the value of the different education an attorney has and the cost that may go along with it.
Memberships
An attorney that has taken interest in the field of family law will often have memberships to organizations in the field of family law. Some memberships are available to any lawyer, while other memberships are more difficult to obtain. An attorney that does not have any memberships to organizations in a field of law can often create doubt in the consumer's mind about a genuine interest in that field.
Information such as that described above concerning attorney qualifications can often be found through State Bar websites or through Bar Associations. As you seek to know more about an attorney's qualifications, it is ultimately up to you to investigate an attorney's qualifications and set the bar on the minimum qualifications that are acceptable to you.
Navigate:
Home
States
California Divorce Source
California Divorce Articles, News and Resources
Attorney/Client Relationship
Qualifications to Consider in Hiring Your Lawyer
Either parent may be ordered to pay an amount necessary for the support, maintenance and education of the child. Child support is calculated using the California child support guidelines. An amount different from that which is produced using the guidelines may be ordered based on specific deviation factors and also at the discretion of the court.
|
![]() Find Professionals
Easily Connect With a Lawyer or Mediator
Have Divorce Professionals from Your Area Contact You!
|
Terms & Conditions | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Do Not Sell My Information
Established in 1996
Copyright© 1996-. All rights reserved by MH Sub I, LLC dba 3StepDivorce.