Unfortunately, over 40% of first marriages in America will end in a divorce. If you’re planning to get a divorce, you shouldn’t try to handle it alone. In addition to ending your marriage, a divorce will affect your finances, your children, or even where you will live. Since divorce impacts so many aspects of your life, it’s essential to use guidelines to find the best lawyer possible.

Choose a Lawyer With a Good Reputation

With a lawyer – like with every other profession – their reputation lies with what people know about their case results. Winning lots of cases is only one measure of a lawyer’s reputation. For a good reputation, a lawyer needs to always conduct their practice with honesty. When your lawyer uses transparency in their dealings with their client, the court, and with the opposing counsel, this will allow you to trust an attorney with the divorce case.

Choose a Lawyer With Divorce Experience

Any legal dealings will proceed best when you choose a lawyer with divorce experience. Every state has laws about different aspects of the law, so choosing a seasoned attorney is your best bet. For example, according to New York state divorce laws, the plaintiff (person filing for divorce) must give divorce papers to the defendant (the other spouse) within 120 days. A New York divorce lawyer would know all the essential laws involved with a divorce.

Choose a Lawyer Who Will Educate You

A divorce is a legal procedure, so your lawyer may use many legal terms in court. While you can’t learn everything there is to know about the law during your divorce process, your attorney can help you understand what is happening during each phase of your divorce process. They can also explain what the judge says to you and give you all available options as they are presented. Your lawyer should also be able to let you know what will be coming next in the divorce process.

Choose a Lawyer With Confidence

Your divorce can be an overwhelming experience, even when everything goes your way. If your attorney exudes confidence, it will help reassure you of your lawyer’s competence. Confidence comes from success and experience. When you are with someone who exudes confidence, it allows you to relax and to put your trust in your lawyer.

Choose a Lawyer That Protects Your Finances

Although divorce is about the ending of the marriage of two people, it’s not only about their feelings. A divorce will also change the financial conditions for both of those people. Each spouse wants to emerge with enough money to live on and a fair distribution of property. Neither of the spouses will end up with their finances in the same condition as they were while they were married. However, a trustworthy lawyer should always make it their business to act with your finances uppermost in your mind.

Choose a Lawyer who Advises and Supports You

It’s easy sometimes to let your feelings tempt you to make a choice that is not in your best interests. A wise lawyer isn’t afraid to tell you if your actions are too vindictive – or too lenient. Your attorney can also support and reassure you if your ex-spouse is the one who becomes too vindictive. Your lawyer will always show you the true meaning of being your advocate.

To find a lawyer you can trust, get recommendations from divorced friends for lawyers that they recommend. If that doesn’t help, do a Google search. To give the example of just one state, over 11,000 Kansas couples will file for divorce during a typical year. All those couples – and all the divorcing couples in other states – will need the best lawyers they can find.