Commentator: finding your “right” divorce counsel

Commentator Dawn Doebler refers to such a professional in a recent family law article, with the financial adviser/analyst noting the salutary effect that proven advocacy delivered by such an individual on behalf of a client can bring in a divorce negotiation and settlement.

The bottom line delivered by Doebler in her piece on divorce-related legal representation is that any person reasonably desiring a best-case outcome in a divorce matter must necessarily make a bona-fide upfront effort to secure counsel that she (or he) feels truly comfortable and compatible with.

Because, as Doebler stresses from her vantage point as a professional herself in many divorce matters, not all family law attorneys are the same.

How do you go about aligning yourself with the “right” attorney?

Well, you increase your odds at the outset by being careful and taking a bit of time at the interview stage, states Doebler. Talk with a few attorneys. Ask candid questions re communication, fees, strategies, experience and so forth, and listen carefully to the responses.

Does your would-be counsel seem poised and experienced? If you will be engaged in a so-called “high asset” dissolution, have you gained the requisite comfort required that the attorney you’re speaking with is broadly competent across all dimensions of financial complexity that often feature where significant wealth is a material factor?

Divorce clients often understandably derive comfort, too, from knowing that their divorce attorney has litigation chops — that is, demonstrated courtroom acumen — in the event that important issues cannot be resolved through mediation or another amicable method.

And collaboration with other professionals can be a strong selling point for many clients, for good reason. Divorce matters often require a team approach directed by an experienced attorney who works often and easily with other professionals like forensic accountants, appraisers, private investigators and investment advisers.

The essential thrust of Doebler’s tip-driven essay on divorce attorneys is that a bit of timely homework done by a prospective client can yield materially positive results in a divorce outcome.