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If you are going through a divorce or a custody battle, you need a good child custody attorney by your side. Ideally, you would want someone with ample experience dealing with these cases and who comes from a reputable firm with an impressive track record. You stand a better chance of winning if you deal with the professionals.
You need to find an attorney who has your best interests and provides effective and stable solutions in custody law matters. So, if you are looking for a qualified child custody attorney, you’re in the right place.
Here Are Some Tips On How You Can Find A Child Custody Attorney
1. Look For References
This is perhaps the first point of call on your journey to finding an excellent attorney. The more references you get, the better. Ask your friends and family to find out if they know any top-notch attorneys. Likewise, inquire if they received help from those attorneys or law firms. Ask them questions about their experience and whether they won their cases or lost big time.
2. Conduct Interviews
Interview each of the lawyers on your shortlist once it is ready. This is to establish if they fit into your case and observe how they conduct business. Do they handle things professionally? How do they handle appointments? Do they value their clients by showing up on time? Are they sympathetic to your situation? Do they show that they have a good understanding of custody law?
These are some questions you need to answer after interviewing them. It doesn’t have to be a long interview, though. You only need to meet and discuss things face to face.
3. Consider Specialization
Ideally, you want to find a lawyer with experience dealing with child custody cases. The power of experience in any field is unrivaled and irreplaceable. Thus, when you deal with specialists, you increase your chances of winning the case. Lawyers have specializations, like estate law, injury law, or conveyancing. What you want is one who specializes in family law and custody cases. You also want to check their success rate as well.
4. Explore Accessibility
Your lawyer has to be available to meet with you, either for additional information or to update you on the status of the case. You want a lawyer who will give your case the full attention it deserves. Therefore, they have to be accessible.
This is why getting the services of an attorney whose offices are far away from you may not be a wise decision. Instead, consider the local ones first. The local attorneys are usually more well-versed with the laws in your locality anyway.
5. Think About Communication
A substantial part of a lawyer’s job involves effective spoken and written communication. So, look for an attorney who can communicate well, as they will represent you before the court. This is a critical requirement because they have to communicate with you regularly, including before and in between court cases.
Attorneys have to be great communicators to be convincing. Observe how they communicate with other family members, like your spouse and children. Are they welcoming? Do they speak with you respectfully and offer you the floor to say what you want?
6. Take Account Of Finances
If you’re going to find your soon-to-be child custody attorney, you have to prepare your finances. Expect good lawyers with an excellent track record to charge higher fees for their services. Thus, inquire how much an attorney charges for their services upfront. Then, measure that against your budget and decide from there. Try to stick within your price range even with the many lawyers within your reach.
7. Look For Compassion Or Empathy
Dealing with child custody cases or any case involving feuding families is often fraught with conflict. Some heated arguments are bound to happen. Therefore, you want to deal with someone who not only has an excellent track record but also understands people. You want someone who can handle the emotions of other people and his own. In short, you want someone with high emotional intelligence on your side. Additionally, you want someone who is emotionally and mentally capable of handling heated exchanges, too.
Conclusion
Finding an excellent attorney for your case is essential to how things will turn out. If you want to succeed, you need a professional attorney with an unparalleled experience. You also want an attorney you’re comfortable with and who understands your situation by showing they will see the case through to its end. These are characteristics often encompassed by professional law firms. Hence, it’s best to stick with the best law firms in your area. Furthermore, finding the right lawyer will bear good results for your case, so don’t settle.
