IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING that it is important to select the right lawyer no matter the nature of your case or your legal concerns.  It is, however, doubly important to select the right lawyer for your divorce because of the extremely personal nature of the issues involved in the dissolution of your marriage and the need to set the right course for the future of your family.

Many lawyers, by virtue of their education, experience and professional standing, are qualified to provide quality legal services.  Because of the personal nature of the relationship between the divorce lawyer and the divorce client, it is important to select a lawyer with whom you feel a rapport.  Make sure you select a lawyer with whom you are comfortable expressing your innermost concerns and one you feel sure will truly listen to you.

You should also expect candor to be a two way street.  In other words, you want a lawyer to whom you can be as direct as possible.  You should want, and expect, a lawyer who will be direct with you.  You don’t want a lawyer who will tell you only what you want to hear.  You want a lawyer who will give you his/her objective opinion, based on education, training and experience, even if he/she sometimes has to give you “bad news.”  Every case has strengths and weaknesses.  The weaknesses do not go away by ignoring them.  Only if they are openly and completely discussed with your lawyer can the impact of the weaknesses be minimized.

Getting divorced is a process with varying degrees of stress.  The process is best negotiated and the stress made more manageable when teamwork is employed.  The team consists of the client, the lawyer and the lawyer’s staff.  Each component of the team functions best when communication is maximized.  Therefore, another important consideration in selecting your attorney is the importance to him/her of keeping the client informed – returning calls promptly, accepting input from the client and making sure that a copy of all incoming and outgoing correspondence is sent to the client.

Many lawyers have the education, training and experience to handle your case.  Only a few, however, will have the right chemistry for your needs.  Don’t discount this in your selection process.  It is important.