There is certainly no lack of lawyers in Maryland or in US, for that matter. But a law school diploma alone is no guarantee that you will get the top-notch legal advice you are expecting. This is especially true for divorce attorneys, because the area of family law requires a different approach than, let’s say, business contracts. While experience, skills and proven track record are important when choosing a divorce lawyer, you should also look for the following characteristics when interviewing your potential legal representatives.
Honesty
Honesty is required from both parties in an attorney-client relationships. You need to be honest about your situation and your divorce attorney needs to be honest and realistic about your options. Some attorneys choose to lure in clients at all costs, keeping client’s hopes up and promising things they have little control over. A good attorney will never make claims or promises they can’t back up. They will also tell you the truth as it is, even if it’s bad news.
Professionalism
What does it mean to be professional? Among other things, it means being polite and respectful, being on time, having integrity and also looking the part. You want to hire a Maryland divorce attorney who has all of these characteristics. Your attorney shouldn’t be late for meetings or look like they just rolled out of bed. He or she should also be an eloquent speaker able to explain complex legal jargon in simple words. We often judge professionalism in the first few minutes we interact with a person, so don’t dismiss your first impressions.
Availability
What good is a divorce attorney, even if he or she is honest and professional, if you can never reach him or her? Your questions keep piling up and your phone calls and emails are not getting returned. Most attorneys handle several cases at a time, but good ones are very organized and make sure they are available when clients need them. You can ask your attorney during your initial consultation about their average response times or availability of support staff who can offer help in attorney’s absence.
Composure
You do want a lawyer who is passionate about what they do and eager to represent your interests. What you don’t want is a lawyer who is acting obnoxiously, instigating an argument or visibly showing his reactions to everything that’s happening in a courtroom. A good divorce lawyer remains calm and maintains composure no matter how upset or frustrated they are with the judge or your spouse’s lawyer. This is especially important if you are planning a mediation instead of a litigation, and cooperation of all parties is essential to reaching a consensus.
Confidence
It takes a lot of confidence to stand up in front of the judge and the courtroom and state your arguments in a logical and assertive manner. Confidence is necessary in order to take charge of the situation and avoid getting intimidated by the other party. It’s fairly easy to tell by the tone of voice and gestures whether your Maryland divorce lawyer is confident in what they are saying. Don’t hire an attorney if they don’t sound convincing or are easily thrown off by tricky questions.
At Alan L. Billian, P.A., we strive to be all of the above: honest, professional, confident, composed and always available to our clients. And numerous 5-star ratings that we have received online prove that we are doing a great job!
Contact us today to speak with one of our attorneys about your case and to determine whether we can be a good fit for your needs.
