People in love don’t go into marriage planning to get divorced. Sadly, some relationships don’t stand the test of time. Sometimes getting divorced is the best decision to make. Once you’ve come to that conclusion, it’s time to take the next step towards making it official. While some couples are able to handle divorce proceedings on their own, others find that they instead need to retain the services of a Utah divorce attorney. Not just any attorney will do, however. Do you know what you should be looking for in a divorce attorney in Utah?
Qualifications, Experience, and Track Record
The first thing you should be looking for in a divorce attorney in Utah is one that has the right qualifications. Divorce law should be something they know inside and out, something they specialize in. They should have an immense amount of experience representing clients who are going through a divorce. That experience should mean that they can represent you zealously, and have the skills necessary to do so. An experienced divorce attorney will know exactly how to handle a case like yours and have a plan of action ready for you. It is important to read your potential attorney’s bio on their website and look over their reviews. Choosing an attorney is a big and important decision and you want to make sure your attorney is not only extremely competent, but a good fit for you personally.
Priorities
A lot of what determines the satisfaction of a client is the priorities any given attorney has. You’ll have a different experience with a divorce attorney whose priority is not only getting the best results for you, their client, but most importantly, an attorney whose primary focus is protecting your children. So long as your preferred attorney is taking on new clients, you will have a consultation with this attorney. During the consultation, you will discuss strategies for your case and you will find out your potential attorney’s priorities and whether or not they align with yours.
Communication Skills and Composure
Communication is crucial when it comes to successfully practicing any discipline of law, especially family law. Your Utah divorce attorney must be an effective communicator, both in regards to communications with you and other legal professionals. They need to be able to listen to you well enough to understand what your needs are, and excel in verbal and written communication to clearly explain the details of your case to you and how it’s progressing. Your attorney also needs to be your biggest advocate as they are your voice and representation in the courtroom, mediation, and communications with opposing counsel. While your attorney is your advocate, your attorney must specialize in knowing the right time and place to zealously advocate for you. Hence, your attorney needs to be experienced and specialize in family law to know when is the right time to fight v. negotiate.
Rapport
Your Utah divorce attorney is meant to be your advocate in the divorce proceedings. You need to have a positive relationship with them, one that allows you to establish trust. It’s important that you are able to feel comfortable with your attorney. That will make it easier to work with them, to be a team that can effectively reach an acceptable resolution. You can get a feeling for the sort of rapport you’ll be able to build right from the beginning during the initial consultation. If you aren’t able to connect from the beginning, you may want to think about moving on to a different attorney.
Availability
It doesn’t really matter how good an attorney is if they don’t have the availability to work with you. Timing can be a big deal in divorce proceedings, which means that your attorney needs to be available for each of the key points along the way, and for others that may crop up as you go. There’s a good chance you’ll have questions, ones that you’ll need your Utah divorce attorney to answer. A good divorce attorney and the team behind them will respond to you in a timely manner, or at least give you an idea of when you can expect a response. It isn’t fair to expect to be your attorney’s only client, but it is fair for you to expect them to be fully invested in your case. If they’re so busy they can’t do that, you’ll probably be better off working with another one.
When you need the services of a Utah divorce attorney, you know that the decision you make is one that can have a heavy impact on the outcome of your divorce settlement. You need to carefully research your options and find the one that you believe will be the best fit for you. That way you can feel confident that your Utah divorce attorney will be doing everything they can to get the results you need.
It’s important to learn about the attorney you’re thinking of working with. Click here to learn more about the Utah divorce attorneys at LJ Law Family Law Attorneys.