Picking the right lawyer to handle your divorce can be a very confusing and frustrating time. You may have complex issues to resolve such as child custody, support issues, division of marital assets and debts, to name a few. First, you must know the correct court to file a divorce case. If you or your spouse is residing in Orange County, California for six (6) months or more, a divorce case should be filed in the Orange County Courts located at the Lameroux Justice Center in Orange. It will be imperative that you hire an Orange County divorce lawyer who is familiar with handling divorce matters at the Orange County courthouse. Hiring an Orange County attorney is important because every Courthouse has different local rules that the lawyers must follow. An Orange County divorce lawyer will know how to navigate the system and be familiar with the file clerks as well as the Judges clerks to make sure that the filing of legal documents goes smoothly. Most importantly, an Orange County lawyer will know the Judges and the Commissioners sitting on the bench. This is important because the attorney will know the personality and disposition of every Judge or Commissioner who happens to be ruling in your case. Of course, the ruling in a legal matter must follow the laws and statutes of a State and county. However, an Orange County divorce lawyer will be familiar with how your particular Judge or Commissioner likes to do things and how the case should be presented. These are issues that you do not need to worry about if you have a good OC lawyer representing you in your case.
What To Look For When Hiring Your Attorney
Below are some important things to consider when hiring an Orange County divorce lawyer.
1. Does your attorney have experience in Family Law matters? This is obviously important because you want your attorney to be experienced and specialized in divorce.
2. Is the attorney an Orange County divorce lawyer who practices mainly in the Orange County courts? You want your lawyer to know the people and be familiar with the people who are going to effect the decisions made in your case.
3. Is the attorney going to have the time to handle your case? Many divorce lawyers are very busy and they are in Court almost every day. This is not a bad thing. It is good that your attorney is at the Court getting exposure with the Judges and Commissioners. However, make sure that your lawyer is not too overbooked so that you can get the best representation possible.
4. Personal attention and communication is a very important aspect of hiring a good Orange County divorce lawyer. Anyone who finds himself or herself beginning a divorce, in the middle of a divorce or trying to finish one, is constantly in need of legal and emotional help. It is the job of your attorney to represent you and your needs to the best of his or her ability. You need an attorney who will take the time to listen to your needs and be able to communicate to you what is going on in your case.
5. Professionalism is also an important characteristic of an attorney. Orange County lawyers sometimes get a bad reputation because of the way they handle themselves in a Courtroom. You need to choose an attorney who has integrity and a good reputation among his or her co-workers, associates, opposing attorneys and Judges and Commissioners.