What Attributes are Important in a Family Lawyer?
People have different personalities, work ethics, opinions and values. For the most part, we accept others as they are, overlooking features with which we disagree. But when it comes to choosing a family lawyer, the strengths and weaknesses of the person become important. We are paying that person to help us and we need the best available advice and direction.
The first and most obvious condition that must be met when thinking about the
traits of a family lawyer is whether the lawyer is board certified or not. The
family lawyer must be legally permitted to conduct legal business in the state
in which he/she is working.
A family lawyer must above all be experienced and competent. When meeting with
the lawyer, one can actually see whether the lawyer is detailed oriented or lax
and careless. Look for signs of incompetent behavior such as:
- Does the lawyer write the details you provide on his/her legal pad or does he expect to memorize everything you say?
- Is he/she distracted with continuous phone calls and interruptions that do not allow him to focus on you solely during your appointment?
- Does he/she lose documents and information that you have previously provided?
Moreover, the lawyer must be sensitive to the issues at hand. Family law is very personal. Any part of family law delves into our most private affairs. Gender may even be an issue when reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of a lawyer. A woman may be comfortable with a female lawyer especially if she feels that men have betrayed her. A client must feel like the lawyer is trustworthy. Not only trustworthy with the information by also with how he/she conducts business. For instance:
- Does he/she bill for every minute of time?
- Does he/she gossip about other clients to you? Does he/she openly speak about other clients by name?
A family lawyer should be able to help you through the
situation and deal with you in a rational manner. The lawyer must remain
composed when you may not be. He/she must be able to fight on your behalf and
explain what is important and what is trivial. He must keep you grounded so that
you participate effectively in your case.
Additionally, the lawyer should be accustomed to the client's type of case.
Whether it is going to court or writing a will, the lawyer should be informed
and abreast of current social issues. For example, although a lawyer is not an
accountant, if he/she is setting up a trust fund for a client's children, the
fund should be set up in such a manner as to benefit the child and client. Tax
laws should be taken in consideration and relevant decisions made accordingly.
The lawyer does not expect the client to have these answers but rather the
lawyer gets the answers.
Lastly, the family lawyer must provide solutions. He/she should be familiar
enough with specific scenarios that he can provide useful and meaningful
information as well as recommendations to make the process run smoother and
ultimately seem less harsh on the client.