The Best Female Divorce Attorneys for Irvine, Santa Ana & Anaheim
Are you Looking for the Best Female Divorce Attorneys in Orange County, California? The first step in any divorce should be realizing that you need to discuss your situation with a divorce attorney. While friends, family, and online articles may offer you advice on how to choose a divorce lawyer in California, ultimately, the decision is up to you. Your attorney will assist you with your divorce, and your divorce affects your life.
If working with a female divorce attorney makes you more comfortable than working with a male divorce attorney, you have every right to look for female attorneys. Remember that the legal representative you choose will be there to help you through one of the toughest and most stressful parts of your life, so choose someone who you can relate to and are comfortable spending time with. However, whether a person is male or female will not affect the quality of representation.
If you’re looking for the best female divorce attorney in Orange County, California, we’re here to help. The number of female and male divorce attorneys is roughly the same, so having a gender preference shouldn’t create problems during your search.
Why Choose a Female Divorce Lawyer in Southern California?
Many people choose a female divorce attorney because they feel more comfortable working with a female professional.
Some people assume that if they are in a high stakes divorce, they will be better off with an aggressive divorce attorney, and that means hiring a male. On the other hand, many people who are looking for a compassionate divorce lawyer will turn to a female.
More important than these gender stereotypes is the individual divorce lawyer with whom you choose to work. Always meet with your lawyer prior to hiring him or her, and choose the one with whom you are the most comfortable. You may or may not have specific personality traits that you want in your attorney. Either way, meeting with your attorney gives you the opportunity to get to know him or her, ask questions, and determine whether or not you are comfortable working with the attorney during your divorce.
There is no single personality trait or gender that is right for every divorce, but it is important to find one that you can work with.
Some lawyers advertise that they represent clients of a specific gender. An example of this is when a lawyer says he wants to represent a father looking to protect his parental rights, or when an attorney says that she can help women escape from abusive spouses or fathers. While these are both viable legal cases, these attorneys likely represent a variety of clients of both genders.
However, if you are looking for an attorney to help you protect yourself and/or your children from an abusive partner or spouse, it is important to look for a lawyer who has experience in that area. Similarly, if you know that you and your spouse are disagreeing about child support and custody, you will be better off if you choose to work with an attorney who has experience working with high conflict custody and child support cases.
What Else Should I Look for in a California Divorce Attorney?
Consider what might be involved in your divorce. Do you have children? Does your spouse or partner agree with you on getting a divorce? Do the two of you agree on how to divide property and debts? Do you have a prenuptial agreement? Have you considered divorce mediation?
Once you have considered your situation, you are ready to start looking for a divorce attorney. Below are some questions you might ask a potential attorney prior to hiring him or her to represent you.
How long have you practiced family law? In which areas of family law do you have the most experience? This is your opportunity to find out about the attorney’s history, experience, and any special qualifications that may make him or her better suited for your case.
How would you approach my case? How do you recommend that I handle the divorce settlement? This is your opportunity to discuss the specifics of your case. You can ask about alternative dispute resolution, whether your divorce qualifies for a summary dissolution, and how much time your divorce could take. Your attorney cannot predict the future, but he or she should have an understanding of your situation and give a rough estimate.
What can you tell me about past cases that have turned out badly? What would you have done differently? It is not necessarily important to have an attorney who has never lost a case, however, you should be able to tell that the attorney has learned how to better approach cases in the future. Make sure that you can have full confidence in your lawyer, because the way your divorce settlement turns out could dictate the rest of your life.
What types of payment do you accept? How do you bill your clients? How could that change as the case moves forward? Always ask about payment during the first meeting. You should know exactly what to expect from your lawyer, and what your lawyer expects from you. If the attorney cannot be clear about this, do not expect that to change if you choose to move forward and work together.
Can you clarify that? If you don’t understand something that a lawyer says, ask him or her to clarify. An attorney should not speak to you in legalese, he or she should be able to clearly explain what is going on, and keep you up to date so that you can make informed decisions.
If you are Looking for the Best Female Divorce Attorneys in Orange County, Schedule Your Free Initial Consultation with a California Divorce Attorney