Choosing the “right” attorney for a Family Court matter can be one of the most important decisions you will make. Different people have different criteria guiding them through the selection process. Some people want to hire a “big name” attorney, with the goals being to intimidate his/her spouse, to impress his/her friends, to spend a predetermined amount of money, or a combination of these. Others want want to find an attorney that is inexpensive, older/younger, male/female, techo-savvy, big firm/small firm, local/out-of-town, etc. The truth is that there is no such thing as the right attorney for everyone, which makes the evaluation process that much more important.
The attorney-client relationship in Family Court matters is somewhat unique as compared with other types of cases. For instance, in a criminal case, you may not care that your attorney is a gruff S.O.B., and it may not affect the outcome of your case because your contact with that attorney may be infrequent. However, Family Court cases demand frequent, open, and honest communication with your lawyer. The issues involved in these cases by their very nature demand that you have a comfort level with your attorney. For instance, while you may never feel completely at ease discussing issues such as substance abuse, sexual issues, parenting decisions, physical abuse, etc. with a stranger, it can be much less stressful if you choose an attorney with whom you are comfortable.
I explain to potential clients that my role as their attorney is to (a) gather information, (b) explain what options are available to the client, (c) make a recommendation, and then (d)follow my client’s instructions and work my hardest to obtain the desired outcome. The client is my “boss,” and I try to keep that at the forefront of my representation. My job is not to make decisions for my clients or to tell them what to do. I understand and freely acknowledge that I am not the right attorney for everyone and that not all potential clients are right for me. I attempt to stress this early in my consultations, and I believe that potential clients (as with all consumers) should be well informed in making this important decision.
Michael Sherman of the Alabama Family Law Blog wrote an excellent article, Nine Questions to Ask the Divorce Lawyer (Before You Write the Check), which should be required reading for potential clients in any Family Court matter. Mr. Sherman suggests scheduling a consultation with the attorney to evaluate him and his staff and to determine whether his personality suits your needs in this case. A link to his article is here, and I urge you to review it and consider these factors prior to hiring your attorney.