You want to find the best attorney. You talk to friends. To colleagues. They pass you some names of promising candidates. You Google: ‘best family law attorney arizona’, ‘best divorce lawyer arizona’, ‘best child custody lawyer phoenix’. You search ratings on AVVO, Lawyers.com, and Legalmatch.com. You comb websites. It’s JUST. TOO. MUCH. How can you really find the best lawyer? The truth is, there is no ‘best lawyer’; there is only the best lawyer for you and your situation. Attending to three things can help you achieve this: introspection, interviewing questions, and interview reflection.
PART 1: INTROSPECTION First, here are two things you need to determine before interviewing any attorneys. These are things only you know - no attorney has this information. Although your expectations may change over time and across situations, YOU will be the one determining the course of your case:
Once you can answer those two questions, you need to interview potential attorneys who have the skill set and temperament to reach your goals within your parameters. Remember, YOU are interviewing THEM...not the other way around! You need to come to each interview prepared with questions, and you need to take notes. Here are 6 questions that I would always ask:
Funny...when I read through these items, they sound so much like the mental gymnastics we run through when we’re on a first date! As odd as that may seem, it’s entirely true. Mindfulness during the interview is critical. There is a very real gut-check that should happen on your part during these meetings. In the interest of helping you glean some crucial information during your lawyer consults, there are 6 key things to watch for and be mindful of during your interviews:
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AuthorJason Castle is a family lawyer who specializes in high-conflict cases. He's also a former prosecutor & social worker. Hear his latest divorce thoughts! Archives
January 2024
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