Did you know that there are over 60,000 lawyers in the United States that practice family law?

Family law can be one of the most difficult and emotional types of cases for you to be involved with. This is because you are likely going up against someone you know well, someone who may have hurt you, and it could involve people that you care deeply about.

For these reasons, you must have the right family lawyer by your side to get the best results possible from a case like this.

What do you need to know about family attorneys? What should you be looking for?

Here are six tips that you can use.

1. Consider Their Location

Something that you need to keep in mind when it comes to hiring a lawyer is where they practice. The reason for this is that since the United States has 50 different states in the country, there are 50 different sets of laws that you have to follow in some cases.

Family law is one of those cases that fall to the state level rather than the federal level with most issues under that umbrella.

So, for example, let’s say that you grew up in Texas and your family has used the same lawyer for decades. However, you moved to the neighboring state of Louisiana and are now getting a divorce after living in Louisiana.

If you lived there and had children there, then Louisiana courtrooms are going to have jurisdiction in this case. With that in mind, you are going to need a lawyer that is familiar with Louisiana family laws. So, in this situation, it would be ideal to hire a family lawyer that practices in Louisiana.

2. Consider the Cost

The next thing that you are going to want to consider is how much your attorney is going to cost. Like most things in life, this is not going to be free.

If you are in a difficult family law case such as a divorce or a child custody hearing, then you may have to prepare some finances for a long trial. That is going to be important when you initially decide to hire a lawyer.

The reason is that when it comes to family law, attorneys are typically going to charge by the hour. In general, you should be prepared to spend at least $100 per hour. However, some of the most reputable lawyers will charge you over $300 per hour.

With that in mind, make sure that you can afford the legal services that you are signing up for. At the same time, do not be afraid to shell out a little money to get quality representation.

3. Review Their Experience

Something that can be important to have in a lawyer is real experience in their field. Let’s face it, almost anyone would be intimidated by the idea of being a lawyer’s first client in a case as important as this.

So, it is best to ask about their experience when it comes to practicing law in this field. Ask a lawyer how many years they have worked on cases similar to your own. On top of that, do not be afraid to ask about how successful they are in their cases.

Ideally, you are going to want someone with years of successful experience in this field by your side.

4. Ask About Trial Necessity

Considering that you are likely going up against a member of your own family in a case like this, you are going to want to keep this case as clean as possible. This is different than going up against a stranger or a business because, at the end of the day, you may want to salvage a relationship with the person you are considering going up against here.

So, review your case with a lawyer and try to determine how necessary a trial is in your situation. See if there is a way that trial can be avoided and if there is a peaceful resolution on the table that can make both sides happy.

5. Know Your Goals

A very important tip that you should keep in mind is that you want to know what you are trying to get out of this.

Do you want a certain property? Do you want certain assets? Are you trying to hang onto as much of your rights to see your kids as possible?

These are things you need to think long and hard about. Determine what is most important to you, determine if it is necessary to go to a lawyer to achieve this, and communicate this with a lawyer if it is.

6. Consider the Level of Trust

This does not only apply to a lawyer that you might hire, but to your own family as well. Do you trust that you can come up with a peaceful resolution if you do not have legal muscle behind you? Do you trust that they would do the right thing?

As for a potential family lawyer, you need to have a level of trust in them too. Are you confident they will win you the case? Are you confident they are going to represent your intentions the way you want to?

Factor all of this in before going forward.

Schedule a Consultation for Your Family Law Case

These are six tips that you should keep in mind before hiring a lawyer to handle a family law dispute. Consider the level of trust between both family and a lawyer to determine if a trial is necessary.

Also, know what you are trying to get out of it, keep your location in mind, and consider how much going to trial will cost.

Do you need a family lawyer? Schedule a consultation with us today.