You never dreamed this day would come. When you walked down the aisle 10 years ago, you genuinely believed it would be forever. You know better now. You and your spouse are on your way to divorce and it’s time for you to find a lawyer. You have determined to spend whatever it takes to find the best divorce attorney out there. Now what?
Finding the best divorce attorney starts with understanding that he or she may not exist. Unfortunately, we tend to throw around superlatives as though they are absolutes. Yet ‘best’ means different things to different people. Finding the best divorce attorney requires defining what that means to you.
ABM Family Law is a Chicago law firm with a team of experienced divorce attorneys. Are they the best divorce attorneys in Chicago? That’s for their clients to decide. However, ABM does recommend you insist on the following three things as you search for an attorney:
1. Communication Skills and Habits
Your divorce is going to take some time to settle. During that time, there will be plenty of communication back-and-forth. Your chosen attorney must have sufficient communication skills to keep you fully informed and in the loop. Look for an attorney who is clear, succinct, and speaks a language you understand.
As far as communication habits are concerned, you need an attorney who is responsive. You need one who will respond to voicemail messages, emails, and texts within a reasonable amount of time. If you send a message and have to wait days for a response, it is going to be a long, long road.
2. Divorce Experience
Second only to communication skills and habits is experience. Before anything else, divorce is a legal proceeding that follows an established process as set forth by state law. Looking out for your best interests requires experience. It requires an attorney who regularly practices divorce law and understands how local courts work.
3. People Skills
Divorce attorneys like to talk a tough game when they market themselves. They want you to believe that they are as tough as they come, willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you prevail. Guess what? That’s just a marketing tactic. Divorce attorneys with the killer mindset are rarely considered the best in the business.
Divorce is a highly personal matter charged with emotion. It is also a matter that requires compromise. You need a divorce attorney with the right people skills to manage both. It’s far better to have an attorney who knows how to amicably negotiate than one ready to pounce and destroy. Compromise with the other party’s attorney is the only thing that will eventually lead to a final settlement.
How to Find Your Attorney
Now that you know what to look for, how do you find the best possible attorney? You have to go looking. Choosing an attorney based solely on advertisements is not a wise idea. Attorneys are no different than other business owners and entrepreneurs. Their marketing efforts are designed to show them in the best possible light.
You are going to have to sit down and talk with multiple attorneys to find out where they are coming from. At each meeting, don’t let the attorney control the conversation. You control it. You ask the questions and probe for answers. Find out what each attorney can do for you, how they will do it, and what the expected results are. It should only take one meeting to discover if an attorney is a good communicator, has experience, and demonstrates the right people skills.
