Seattle Family Law: Choosing the right lawyer for you

You’ve heard it in advertisements and from friends and relatives: it is very important to choose the right Seattle family law attorney for your divorce.  But shopping for an attorney can be like shopping for an electrician or a plumber: you don’t use one until you need one, and you don’t know what to look for to find one.  Here are a few things to consider before you pick the phone and call a Seattle divorce attorney. 

Seattle family law is a complex set of statutes, rules, and court opinions which govern how courts decide disputes within families.  As such, it is a very specialized area of the law and requires an attorney who knows it.  Thus, the first requirement for a good Seattle family law attorney is a thorough understanding of Washington State family law.  Find out if the prospective lawyer practices family law exclusively, or if not, how much.

However, it is not enough to have taken a class in law school on Seattle family law.  More important is understanding how judges respond to certain kinds of circumstances and arguments made about those circumstances.  Also, a good Seattle family law lawyer considers how an opposing attorney approaches certain kinds of cases and what defenses will work well against it.   Thus, experience in Seattle family law is the second requirement of a good Seattle divorce attorney.  Ask a prospective attorney if he or she has handled cases like yours before and how often.

Furthermore, and perhaps the most difficult to judge, it is important that your Seattle family law attorney be ethical within the profession.  This can mean several things.  For example, a good divorce attorney will not encourage litigation because it is more expensive.  People in family crisis seek the professional services of an attorney in order to resolve their dispute, and your Seattle family law lawyer should help you do just that.  True, some disputes are beyond negotiation.  An ethical Seattle family law attorney will litigate professionally and honestly and is respected by her peers for this.  Finally, an ethical Seattle family law attorney knows that your case is about the most important part of his client’s life and that family law cases are emotionally and personal.  You should feel comfortable that your Seattle family law attorney has your interest in mind, listens to your ideas, and is honest about your case.