Orange County divorce lawyers FAQs: How do I find a help guide on how to find the best divorce lawyers in Orange County?
Tips to Select the Best Orange County Divorce Lawyer
Whether you’re considering divorce, you have already filed the paperwork with the court, or you have received papers from a spouse or domestic partner who is filing, you’ll need the best divorce attorney on your side throughout the divorce.
Every divorce is different, because every person and every relationship is different! For that reason, every divorce and every person going through a divorce needs to find the right lawyer for him or herself.
There are many things that make a great divorce lawyer, from experience to personality to affordability and more. So, what should you look for in a lawyer? What makes a lawyer the best one for you? We’re here to help you understand how to find and select the best divorce attorney in Orange County - for you.
Consider What you Want for Your Divorce
Before retaining a divorce attorney, first consider What you need from the Divorce for both you and your children.
Although there is no replacement for actual legal advice from a qualified divorce attorney, there are resources available to you, like this blog post, that can help you get an idea of what you want in your divorce, or what you might want to look for in a divorce attorney. You might discover information that inspires helpful questions you can ask a potential attorney before deciding to work together.
What you might want for your divorce is different than what someone else might want for either your divorce, or his or her own divorce. Consider your current situation.
• How well do you and your spouse or partner communicate?
• Do you share any children?
• Look at your debts, assets, and property. What is your financial outlook after going through a divorce?
• Have you already come to any agreements regarding your children, your debts, your assets, or any support payments?
• Is domestic violence a part of your divorce?
Depending on your answers to these questions, and to others, you may have various options available to you. If you don’t know what you want for your divorce yet, now is the time to start thinking about your options. In some cases, your divorce lawyer can help you decide and explain what your options may be. However, before you choose a lawyer, if you have an idea of what you want, you might be able to select a divorce attorney who has more experience in an area you need. Consider the following options.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
If you and your spouse are willing to work together, or if you want to work on your communication skills, alternative dispute resolution might be a good option for you. There are several kinds of alternative dispute resolution, and they offer you a way to work through the terms of your divorce outside of a courtroom through a confidential process with the help of a professional. Alternative dispute resolution is a great way to keep kids out of the court or to work on your parenting skills. It also has the potential to save you and your partner or spouse a lot of money.
Mediation is one form of alternative dispute resolution. During mediation, you and your spouse or partner will work together with a third party mediator. While you are in mediation, you are not allowed to have attorneys present. However, it is advised that both of you meet with an attorney outside of mediation, or in between sessions. You may also jointly hire a lawyer who is trained as a mediator to act as your divorce mediator.
Collaborative divorce is another kind of alternative dispute resolution. Both parties and their attorneys will meet in a private session outside of the courtroom to work through their differences and create a divorce agreement. This requires both parties to hire attorneys who have experience in collaborative law, not just in litigation. Rather than focusing on arguing, as often happens in court, a collaborative divorce allows the parties to work together towards a common goal.
Summary Dissolution
A summary dissolution is a simplified divorce process that certain couples may qualify for. If you think you may qualify for a summary dissolution in California, you may want to find an attorney who has experience going through the process, or one who can help guide you through it with minimal legal assistance.
Contested Divorce
If you and your spouse or partner do not agree on how to handle your divorce, you may end up in court. Highly contested divorces can be expensive, time consuming, messy, and stressful, among other things.
Involvement in a contested divorce usually means you will want a lawyer who has experience with contested divorces.
High Asset Divorce
If you and/or your spouse have a lot of assets, high debts, own a business, or have a complex financial situation, it may be hard to create a property division agreement. Even if you are creating the agreement in the courtroom, you will need to work with a skilled attorney and you may need other professionals. Sometimes, an attorney with experience in high asset divorces will have contacts with other professionals who can help.
Divorces with Children
When you are divorcing with children, you have more things to consider, and you will need to focus on your child’s best interests. Some lawyers have more experience working with children or working with parents than others, and may be able to provide better assistance in child custody and child support issues.
Look for a Local Divorce Attorney
Look for a Local Divorce Attorney in Orange County
There are two major reasons why you want a local attorney. First, a local attorney will be close to you, and it will be easier to meet with your local lawyer than with one who lives or works farther away. Second, if you are filing for a divorce in your local court, a local attorney is likely to have experience with other local lawyers, your community, and professionals in the court, like the judge and court clerks. This can benefit you because your lawyer is more likely to know what to expect depending on whom you are working with in the court.
Finding a local lawyer can be simpler than finding one far away. To find a potential lawyer, try asking friends and family members who have worked with divorce lawyers in the past who they might recommend. You might find that some lawyers get better reviews than others for varying reasons.
You can also look online for reviews from the general public, find lawyers through your local bar association or the California state bar. Sometimes, asking professionals whom you know, from your hairdresser to your accountant, can also help you find a quality divorce lawyer.
It’s best to find several lawyers that you might want to work with, and to narrow it down from there. Once you have thought about what you might want in a divorce and found a few lawyers you might want to work with, it’s time to look into the attorney’s backgrounds.
Set your Budget
One of the biggest concerns for many people who are searching for a divorce lawyer is the potential cost. In addition to court fees, attorney fees can be high, especially in high asset divorces or highly contested divorce.
It is important to look at various payment plans that may be available, as well as the possible fee structures of any lawyers you are considering working with. During a divorce, you will need to go through all of your finances both with your spouse or partner and on your own, for the property division section of the divorce.
Meet a Potential Divorce Attorney in Person
Meet your Potential Divorce Attorney in Person
Before you hire a divorce lawyer, it is important to meet with him or her in person so that you can ask questions and consider whether you like your divorce attorney as a person. Sometimes, it is okay to work with a jerk, if he or she can do a good job. Remember, however, that you will be working with your divorce lawyer through a very stressful part of your life, and whether or not you like the lawyer can make a difference.
Consider asking the following questions, in addition to questions of your own, during your initial consultation with a potential divorce attorney.
• Does the lawyer have experience in the area of divorce law that you need, whether it is working with children, alternative dispute resolution, high asset divorce, or another unique situation?
• What does the attorney recommend that you do in your situation?
• How have previous divorces that are similar to yours turned out for this attorney in the past?
• What would the lawyer have done differently in a divorce that did not turn out well?
• Will you be working directly with the attorney, or with assistants?
How to find the best divorce lawyers in Orange County contact info
Before you retain an attorney give us a call to see if we can better meet your needs! We offer free consultations.
If you are considering divorce, consider meeting with the lawyers at Yanez & Associates. We have extensive experience with divorce in California, and we are here to help you through your divorce.
We offer free initial consultations, so contact us today to schedule yours.
