Unless you are wealthy and have a sizable estate, you probably don’t keep a lawyer on retainer to assist with legal matters. Depending on your situation, finding a lawyer when you need one can be stressful, because you may need one immediately to take care of an urgent matter, and you will need to find someone that you can trust. Here are five tips to help you find a family lawyer.

Choose a Family Law Firm

When searching for a family lawyer to help with divorce, child custody, or other family law issues, you need help from the experts. It is essential to choose a firm that is devoted to family law, because they will have the experience and expertise you need.

Also, be sure to select a lawyer who is devoted to the subspecialty that you need. If you are getting a divorce, hire a lawyer who only handles divorces, because they will be aware of how to help you in any given situation.

Avoid Lawyers Focused on Winning

While it is important to find a dedicated lawyer who wants to do their best to help you, an attorney shouldn’t be solely focused on winning. Lawyers who make claims about winning cases may do anything to win, including hurting those whom you love, such as your children. Find an attorney who will represent you to the best of their abilities, but will stop short of making causalities out of those whom you care about the most.

Talk Over the Telephone

Before you meet a lawyer face-to-face, speak with them over the telephone. It is important to be able to speak openly with your lawyer, especially when discussing the details of your life during divorce proceedings or when trying to get custody of your child. If you don’t like how they speak with you during a telephone call, you probably won’t like them in person, so use telephone calls to help you screen Adelaide family lawyers.

Compare Rates

Although the cost of a lawyer shouldn’t be your main criteria for choosing one, it is important to compare rates among lawyers. While a cheap attorney may not be experienced and might use low rates to attract business, a comparable attorney with years of experience may be out of reach financially. Choosing a family law specialist may cost more, but their expertise is vital when it comes to achieving good outcomes for divorces, child custody cases, or mediations.

Ask for Referrals

If you know someone who has gone through a divorce, ask them about a referral to a lawyer. Along with the lawyer they hired, they may have interviewed lawyers who would be better suited for your case than they were for theirs. Getting a referral is a good starting point, but you should research any name you are given to make sure that they can handle your type of case.

Researching lawyers is key to finding one with the experience, education, and expertise to handle your divorce, help you get visitation rights or custody of your child, and protect your interests if your case needs to go to court.