Useful Steps to Finding a Good Divorce Lawyer

A good divorce lawyer is essential to getting the best results from your divorce settlement. Hiring just any general practice attorney will not work as well, because both you and your case are unique. When selecting your divorce lawyer you should consider that when your teeth ache you probably go to a dentist, when your eyesight is failing you probably go to see an optometrist and/or ophthalmologist, and when you fall and break your leg you probably go to see your family doctor. This is sensible, because for each problem you go to see the person who knows how best to deal with that problem. Divorce is the same. So, finding a good divorce attorney in San Jose or anywhere else is much more than just finding someone online or in the phone book, because they need to have certain types of experiences and skills to provide you with the best results. Here are some useful things to look for if you need a good San Jose divorce lawyer.

- Must specialize in divorce

At any stage of the divorce process you should hire a lawyer who works primarily and/or exclusively in divorce. They should specialize in divorce and have extensive experience in divorce cases. Attorneys that specialize in criminal defense, taxes, or anything else may in fact be quite good at what they do, but they do not do divorce, and they do not have the background or knowledge to help you get the best results in family court. (If your case involves complex criminal and/or tax issues you might still need their help with those issues, but it is a rare tax attorney who does well preparing his/her client for a child custody evaluation).

- Must make you feel comfortable

In order to get the best results your divorce attorney will need to know all the relevant and important facts in your case. It is normal to not want to tell a complete stranger the private details of your life, and if you are not comfortable with your divorce attorney you will probably fail to tell him/her many things. Some of the things you do not tell your divorce attorney might be relevant to your case. If the first time your divorce attorney finds out about the things you did not tell him/her is at a hearing while standing in front of the Judge the results, for you, could be less than ideal. Once you have found a lawyer that has the appropriate background and experiences, you should meet with them for a consultation and determine if you feel comfortable. You will work with your divorce lawyer extensively throughout the case, and everything will be much easier if you feel at ease with your attorney. If something does not seem and/or feel right about this person, then you should probably find another lawyer. It’s your case, litigating the details of your life, and you should find someone you can work with.

- Must be successful and experienced

Any San Jose family lawyer that you would use in a divorce case should have experience and a successful track record. You do not need to pay the highest hourly rate, or have the attorney who claims to get the best results every time, but your divorce attorney should have a fairly successful background. You might choose a Certified Family Law Specialist, or an attorney who has academic and/or other awards. You might choose an attorney who did a good job handling the divorce of a friend or coworker. You should look for evidence that your case will be handled in a successful manner.

- Must have the right philosophy

Each attorney has their own unique style of management in terms of how they approach their cases. You should meet with the attorney for a consultation first to learn how they would deal with your case before you sign up with them. Ask how your case will be handled, and what the process is that you will go through. Do not be afraid to ask why. If you think that the other party is willing to settle the case, tell the attorney and see what he/she has to say about that. You should be in agreement with their approach and style of management so that there will be fewer conflicts later on.

- Look at Reviews and Compare

Always look online for reviews past clients have posted and meet with at least a couple divorce attorneys before you settle on one. Compare their backgrounds, education, costs and experience, because you want to get the best value for your money and still achieve good results. Remember that there is more to assessing the cost of your divorce case than just comparing hourly rates, since the attorney who bills a lower hourly rate could be very expensive if they take twice as long to do everything and lose. It may take a few visits to assess these attorneys before you find the right one for your case.

With over 35 years experience practicing almost exclusively family and divorce law, Thomas Chase Stutzman is an experienced San Jose divorce lawyer you can contact regarding your divorce case. He has an experienced staff of two paralegals that both have over 10 years of experience handling divorce cases, and a Certified Family law Specialist as his associate counsel.