A family law attorney can help you with any of the following situations: divorce, legal separation, annulment, divorce agreement modifications, child support and/or custody guidance, restraining orders, adoptions, and legal documents such as prenuptial marriage agreements.
If you are seeking a family law attorney to receive legal advice and representation for filing a divorce, it is important that you look for qualified lawyers in the county where the person filing the claim (referred to as the plaintiff) lives. For example, if you reside in Fort Collins, Colorado and are looking to file for a divorce, you would want to find a family law attorney practicing in the Larimer County area.
How to Find a Divorce Attorney in Your Area
There are many ways to go about finding the best family law attorney for your divorce. Some options you may want to consider exploring are the following:
- The Colorado Bar Association maintains a listing of attorneys that are admitted to the bar association and eligible to practice law in Colorado. You can search by legal speciality, such as family law, as well as by town. In addition, Larimer County in Northern Colorado also has its own local bar association. You can learn more about their organization and access information about special services such as pro bono and “modest means” representation which they provide to the community.
- Public-interest online legal directories such as LawHelp.org (for low-income individuals), Lawyers.com, LawInfo.com, FindLaw.com, and Avvo.com can provide listings, client reviews, helpful tips, and current legal news.
- Ask for referrals from friends, co-workers, or family members who have recently become divorced or legally separated. Their information and suggestions can help you find a lawyer that aligns with your values and communication needs and avoid those who may not.
- If you’re currently working with an attorney for a non-family law matter, ask them for recommendations. If you have an established relationship with an accountant or financial planner, they may also be able to provide suggestions as well.
Questions to Ask A Lawyer
Once you’ve gathered a few names of family law attorneys, it’s time to start conducting deeper research to make sure they are the best fit for your particular needs. Visit each attorney’s website and social media profiles to learn more about their experience, qualifications, and specializations. If you haven’t done so already, read over the client reviews available through the online legal directories listed above to get opinions about services and fees, punctuality, and their ability to answer questions in a prompt and respectful manner.
Every attorney has a different fee structure and guidelines for preliminary consultations. Some will offer a set amount of time to speak with you at no charge over the telephone about your legal needs. Other attorneys will offer a preliminary in-person office visit for a free or reduced rate. Whether you are talking over the phone or meeting for your preliminary consultation in-person, this is the time to ask key questions to make sure your find the best attorney for your family’s needs. Some of the questions you’ll want to cover include the following:
- What the average cost may be for handling your divorce, legal separation, or annulment?
- Are payment plans available? Is you are lower-income, does the attorney offer negotiable or reduced fees?
- How long has the attorney been practicing and for how long have they been practicing in your county?
- How many cases similar to yours have they handled? Do they consider this area one of their specializations?
- Will they provide references from past clients?
- Will they have primary responsibility for your case or will it be turned over to another attorney in the firm?
How To Prepare for Your First Legal Consultation
During your initial consultation, be sure to bring copies of all of your relevant documentation (family financial information, tax and pay forms, any notices you may have received from the opponent’s attorney or prior legal documents or records) take detailed notes and ask follow-up questions if you need clarification or don’t understand an answer. Remember, in some ways, the initial consultation is like a two-way job interview. You need to ask questions to make sure you are finding the best possible family law attorney for your needs and the attorney needs to make sure that you truly have a legal case and that they have the expertise to handle any extenuating circumstances that may be a part of your divorce (e.g., your spouse lives overseas, you or your children have documented disabilities or medical illness…)
When you take your time to do the necessary research, prepare your information, and ask key questions, you’ll make the best use of your preliminary consultation. If all goes well, you can walk away from the meeting confident in the lawyer’s ability and comfortable with their communication style. These impressions can go a long way in helping you to rest
I thought the questions to ask the lawyer were really good. You can never ask too many questions. I thought the question about providing references from past clients was interesting. I guess that would be a good way to tell if they do good work.
Thanks for this helpful post on finding the best family law attorney. My brother is going through a rough divorce, and he is in need of a good lawyer to help him out. I like what you said about asking other lawyers that you might know for a recommendation on a good family law attorney. I also like that you included some questions to ask the attorney when you meet them. I will have to share this with my brother, thanks for the help!
I really liked the list of questions you put here to ask any potential lawyers. I think the big one is the question about how many similar cases they’ve handled. If you’re getting someone who has a lot of experience, you’re going to be happier with the results. I really liked all of your advice though, so thanks for taking the time to share!
Thank you for the help. I have a friend that is looking for a family law attorney now. I know referrals are helpful, but I do not think he has any yet. Would checking references for a few attorneys be helpful?
Divorces never seem to be a clean break. There’s normally kids and a lot of money involved. These two aspects are normally what complicate these things. My sister is getting a divorce soon and she’s looking for a lawyer to hash things out.
These are some great tips, and I appreciate your advice to take notes and ask questions during your consultation with a divorce attorney. My husband and I are about to start the divorce process, so I need to find a good attorney to guide me through this. I’ll definitely make sure to take notes and ask questions so I know what’s going on and am informed. Thanks for the great post!
If the lawyer doesn’t provide past client references, I don’t think he/she would be a good choice! I would hate to start working with a lawyer that other people didn’t enjoy working with. That would just waste my time and my money.
I will definitely be using the questions you listed here to make sure I end up hiring the right lawyer. I didn’t know going in that family law could be so complicated, so now I need to find a lawyer that can help me to understand it all. If they can work well with me and answer my questions, I think they’ll get the job.
I agree that asking for referrals when looking for a family attorney would be important. I would imagine that a divorce lawyer that is well liked by people you trust would be ideal. My sister is getting a divorce soon so maybe she should ask around to see if she can find an attorney to help her out.
I am looking for a family attorney and am unsure of the best way to find someone that will best suit my case. Your insight on questions to ask them really helped me. In the meetings i’m having this upcoming week i’m going to make sure to ask how long they have been practicing references from past clients.
I like that you suggest to bring relevant documentation to your first legal consultation. I can see why it would be good to bring anything that you think is important. My cousin just filed for divorce from her husband. I’ll have to remind her of these tips.
My sister is filing for divorce, and will need to hire a lawyer. I really like the list of questions to ask a lawyer. My sister is dealing with a lot right now, and I think if she had a list of questions like this, that would eliminate some of the stress she is dealing with. I don’t think she would think about asking about how long the lawyer has been practicing.
I agree that friends and family can be a great source of referrals. I think I trust my family and friends to lead me in the best direction to get my issues taken care of. I will make sure to take this advice to heart and ask around. Thank you for posting.
A good friend of mine is going through a rough but much-needed divorce and wants to find a good attorney to help get through this process as smooth as possible. I thought to look over a handful of attorneys websites to see what they have done in the past, but I never thought to go through client reviews to see what they thought. It’s a very good idea as you say in the article to ask for a reference of past clients they have worked with. I will have to get back to my buddy and see what we can do. Thanks for the helpful info!
I really like the tip you gave about visiting a few different attorneys’ websites and social media profiles to learn more about their experience, qualifications, and specializations. I have heard, however, that it can be difficult to find an attorney on social media because they want to protect their privacy. Any tips on finding them? I’ll have to keep these tips in mind if I’m ever trying to choose a lawyer!
I like that you mentioned to check with some online legal directories. That could be a really great way to find the best reviewed lawyers in the area. I am trying to help my friend find a lawyer, because he is going through a divorce. I will definitely check some of these sites and see if they help us find the right attorney.