How to Choose the Best Divorce Lawyer in San Diego
Family Law Attorneys Guiding Residents of San Diego and Surrounding Areas Going through a divorce can be very intimidating, but one of the greatest aids that you can obtain is the assistance and advocacy of a good divorce attorney. But how do you find the best San Diego divorce lawyer? How can you determine which attorney will do their personal best to protect your legal rights and try to obtain your legal goals, before you have paid fees and long before the ink dries on your final divorce settlement? Fortunately, there are some ways in which you can help yourself make a smart choice in finding legal representation for your divorce.
Where do You Begin?The natural place to begin looking for an attorney is through the internet. Start your search by identifying attorneys in the San Diego area who practice family law and who can handle all of the aspects of your divorce. This means that you must first take stock of which issues are involved or likely to arise in your divorce. For example, ask yourself:
- Are there minor children involved, and do your spouse and you have differences of opinion on what is best for them? If so, you need an attorney experienced in handling disputes in child custody and child support issues.
- Are your spouse and you willing to work most things out, or will the divorce be contentious? Depending on the answer, the best divorce attorney in San Diego may be someone who can help your spouse and you draft a joint agreement, or it may be an aggressive litigator who is ready to fight for what you need.
- Are there a lot of assets involved? Is there disagreement or confusion about separate or community assets? If you have a complicated financial situation, you will want an attorney who works with top-notch financial professionals who can trace, appraise, and evaluate your financial situation to advise you on an advantageous division of community assets.
- Is there a great disparity in income between your spouse and you? If so, your attorney may need to advocate for a spousal support arrangement for your long-term financial well-being.
Do Extensive ResearchResearch can be tedious, but in divorce, the stakes are high. The final terms of your divorce decree are going to have lasting effects on your personal and financial future; you need to make a smart and thoughtful choice.
Some key factors can help you focus your search for the best San Diego divorce attorney:
- Look for experience. While there are many very bright young attorneys, the fact is that just being smart does not substitute for experience. Attorneys who have worked with a broad variety of clients and against a broad variety of adversaries over a period of years or decades will have a keener sense of what to expect and how to approach your particular case.
- Read client testimonials. If you do not have a personal recommendation, the next best thing is hearing what other clients have said about an attorney. Pay close attention to details that address the issues that matter most to you. You can also ask for a reference to allow you to talk directly to someone who has gone through a similar case with this attorney.
- Look for objective ratings from reliable sources. There are several reputable consumer and legal bodies that rate the integrity, reliability, and competence of attorneys based on their actual records of accomplishment. While high ratings by themselves should not govern your decision, a lack of ratings or low ratings can help you screen your choices.
- Take advantage of free in-person or virtual consultations and talk directly to any prospective attorneys. Divorce is very personal, so you want to work with an attorney with whom you feel comfortable. If you take the time and effort to interview prospective attorneys, you will be able to make your choice with greater confidence.
Call Doppelt & Forney for a Free In-person or virtual Consultation in Your Divorce CaseIf you are looking for the best divorce lawyer in San Diego to help you with dissolving your marriage, we invite you to take a look at our website and schedule a free in-person or virtual consultation to find out how we can meet your needs. At Doppelt & Forney, we have over 60 years of combined experience serving clients in a broad variety of matters related to divorce. Call us at 800.769.4748 or contact us online. We serve clients throughout the San Diego area, including in Chula Vista, Oceanside, Vista, La Jolla, Point Loma, Coronado, Del Mar, Ramona, El Cajon, La Mesa, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Escondido, Rancho Santa Fe, San Marcos, and Valley Center.