Divorce & Family Attorneys | Best-Rated Albuquerque & Las Cruces

A Successful Divorce Starts With Finding The Right Lawyer

In today’s legal market, with dozens of lawyers and attorney law firms clamoring to handle your divorce case, it is of the utmost importance to understand what you should really be looking for in a divorce lawyer. Many say they are the best, but very few can actually deliver on that promise. New Mexico Legal Group’s managing attorney, David Crum, has written an eBook entitled: “8 Secrets to Hiring a Great Divorce Lawyer.” You can download that entire eBook for free (just above). In the meantime, here are the three most things you should understand about your divorce.

Not All Lawyers Practice or Even Understand Divorce and Family Law

A lawyer does not have to specialize or even practice divorce and family law on a regular basis to handle your case. And in fact, many lawyers who will offer to take your case handle only a few divorce cases as part of their overall practice. The problem with this is that law school does not prepare a lawyer to practice competently in this specific area, and it is only through training and experience that these cases can be handled properly. As the legal profession has matured, divorce and family law have become much more complex, and smart lawyers have begun to specialize and ramp up their skills in this specific area.

Family law should compose at least the majority of the practice of the person you hire to handle your divorce. The ideal situation is for your lawyer to practice only divorce and family law.

An attorney who invests all of his or her time handling family law cases is more likely to have the knowledge and experience you need to succeed and obtain your best possible resolution. A lawyer with that kind of experience will understand your specific legal issues.

Your Attorney Should Have Experience in Your Jurisdiction, in Your Courthouse, and in Front of Your Judge

Not only should your attorney have experience in divorce and family law; he or she also needs to have experience in your jurisdiction (county), in your courthouse, and in front of your judge. Having that local experience ensures that your attorney knows the decision-makers and how they make rulings on a daily basis. It is critical, especially with family law cases, for your lawyer to know the judges in town and how they are likely to rule on a certain case.

Judges often have different approaches to divorce cases based on their caseloads, their general approach to issue resolution, and how they interpret the law. These factors will dictate how your attorney presents your issues to the judge. Sometimes your case may take place in one of the smaller towns in New Mexico, and you would rather hire someone from outside of your jurisdiction with more training and experience in divorce and family law. Ask questions about who the attorney knows. The answers will provide insight into the judge who will be hearing your case and how the attorney will prepare for that judge.

You also want an attorney who has built credibility and trust in New Mexico with judges and other attorneys in the family law community. It often helps to run an Internet and social media search using a potential attorney’s name to determine how he or she is involved in and perceived by the local community.