How to Find a Good California Divorce Lawyer

Divorces are complicated and extremely disruptive to several aspects of life as you know it. Finding the right attorney early can make all the difference. Here’s how to find a good California divorce lawyer.

How to Find a Good California Divorce Lawyer

Sometimes marriages just don’t work despite the best efforts of both involved parties. When the time for separation occurs, it can be extremely stressful and difficult to deal with specifics like separation of assets and custody arrangements.

While parting ways is never easy, having a good divorce lawyer can help you minimize drama and find fair solutions for everyone involved. It can be difficult to find a lawyer while going through a divorce, which is why we encourage people to go through a reputable attorney referral service. This type of legal service can help connect you with the best attorney for your needs.

Do You Really Need a Divorce Lawyer?

Divorce lawyers specialize in handling issues associated with the dissolution of relationships. This includes both marriages and simple partnerships where assets, children, and/or pets must be shared between parties.

Ultimately, if you are ending a romantic relationship where assets, children, or pets are involved, you can benefit from the services of a divorce lawyer.

It is important to note that a divorce lawyer can help you with many areas of law as they pertain to and intersect with relationships and separation. Your divorce lawyer can provide support for any or all of the following:

• Signing a prenuptial agreement
• Entering or exiting a business partnership
• Setting or dissolving retirement plans
• Managing inheritances before or after separation
• Fair distribution of property (such as pets, furniture, or houses)
• Requesting alimony or making changes to alimony orders
• Arranging custody (full, partial, or joint)
• Arranging child support payments

As for whether you need a divorce lawyer to navigate divorce and separation, the simple answer is absolutely. Few couples separate without experiencing intense emotion, which can make it difficult to part fairly. Hiring a lawyer to fight for your rights is an important part of protecting your own interests during this process.

Search For Your Options

You know you need a divorce lawyer; what’s next? What’s the best way to actually search for and connect with a lawyer? You have a few options.

• Ask Friends: Ask your friends and family members who have completed divorce who they turned to. A personal referral from someone you trust can help you ensure you find someone who will truly fight for you.
• Search Online: Not sure who specializes in divorce law in your local area? Search for terms like “divorce lawyer in [your city here].” Look for lawyers with established websites and positive reviews whenever possible. Keep in mind that online listings almost never paint a full picture – you’ll need to verify the lawyer’s suitability yourself before you hire them.
• Use a Lawyer Referral Service: Legal referral services help you find and connect with only the lawyers who are best-suited to your case. Generally, you enter basic information into an online form or via telephone. The service then uses special algorithms to generate a list of options from a curated, in-house database of attorneys. This is especially useful for complex cases.
• Call the California State Bar: Not sure how to find a good divorce lawyer – or maybe even how to search for one? Call the California State Bar and ask for help. You can dial 1-800-843-9053 to speak with a representative.

In the next few sections, we’ll help you better understand how to verify your search results and make the correct final decision.

Ask for a Consultation

Nearly all lawyers offer a short 30-minute to 1-hour consultation for new potential clients. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of this; it’s an excellent way to interview lawyers before you sign a retainer and agree to work with one person.

At your consultation, ask your lawyer to tell you about their past history in court. Include questions about whether they specialize in divorce law, how successful they are (how often do they win?), and whether they can provide references. Good lawyers will be able to answer these questions quickly and easily.

Attorneys should make you feel comfortable, respected, and heard. If at any point you feel pushed, rushed, or outright insulted, walk away and choose someone else to help you with your case. Report any lawyer who tells you to take illegal action (such as parental abduction or hiding from child support payments).

Ask About Secondary Specialties

Is your case complex enough that you need help with other areas of law that intersect with divorce? It may be beneficial to ask each potential lawyer whether they have experience working with those areas of law, too. While they may not truly specialize in these secondary categories, they should at least have a basic understanding.

For example, let’s say you and your spouse own a small corporation. While any divorce lawyer can help you navigate divorce while owning a business, someone who specializes in both divorce law and child custody will be even more helpful.

Similarly, someone who specializes in divorce and father’s rights or alimony is far more likely to be helpful with complex cases. It’s all about finding the lawyer with the right expertise to meet your special custom needs.

Is Your Lawyer Also Serving Your Spouse?

Watch out! This is a red flag for problems. Serving both spouses is considered a conflict of interest, and while some lawyers may be able to do it without bias, it’s frowned upon and even illegal in some areas. You and your ex-spouse must have separate lawyers to ensure your needs are met and your rights are protected without influence from worries about protecting the other side.

There are a few special exceptions to this rule. If you are divorcing amicably, you may decide to have one spouse’s lawyer create and process your divorce papers. This is legally acceptable, but it’s still wise to have your own lawyer review the papers before you sign and agree to the arrangements.

Learning how to find a good divorce lawyer in California is simple when you get help from a legal referral service. Instead of doing all the legwork and verifying on your own, a licensed legal matching service can help you drill down and make the choice much faster. It’s the best way to ensure you connect with the right attorney fast.