I don't know the first thing about looking for a lawyer. Any suggestions on what to ask?

Any one know of a good referral service that can provide information about lawyers

Some of the books on divorce have suggestions.
My first lawyer was highly recommended but too distracted to focus on my case, and others.
She set me back a great deal with respect to a custody fight.
Don't think that you're going to play nice through this, you'll be in for a fight.

Sue-

Where I live, it's common to be able to meet with the attorney for a free initial consultation. Do that to get a feel for the person and also tap into referrals from trusted friends. If you look around enough you can find a good one. Good luck!

How do you pick a good lawyer?
Look in the cemetery? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" />

Chris may be exactly right !!!!!

I hated my lawyer and never felt I could really open up to him but he was good. He had the respect of the judges and other lawyers in town. Just ask around. When someone would ask me who my lawyer was and I told them, they would just say OOHHHH! I've heard he could make grown men cry.

I never really wanted him to make my ex cry. Heck he made me cry enough. Looking back I now see that he had my best interest in mind and that he had to prepare me for the worst based on the law. However, I knew he would fight for me if necessary.

Good luck.... Reputation means alot in the legal business. ( and it don't come cheap)

PP

<small>[ November 22, 2002, 12:41 PM: Message edited by: peoplepleaser ]</small>

Now, now Chris, be nice.... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />
Alaso, read my signature line - I modified it just for you!

Brit's Brat/BS and a GOOD LAWYER <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" /> -41
FWH-43
DS-13 months
Status: One Day At A Time

When I was about to go through my first divorce, my X had informed me that he had filed, "and it may be beneficial to you to obtain your own lawyer, if just to read through the papers." How sweet of him!

I looked in the yellow pages, and picked out the biggest ad. I called up his lawyers receptionist and pretended I was a reporter from the local newspaper doing an article on the top five firms in the area for divorce action, stating that 'their' firm was listed in our article as number two, and the only one beating them out was 'yellow pages firm'.

Welllllllll......she quickly corrected me and blurted out who her biggest competition was <such an evil grin>!

I had a really gooooood lawyer to fight his top lawyer, so much so that she made HIM pay for my legal fee's too! YAY!

No one said it was fair.....cheating was NOT fair!

Shepette

Thank you all, and I do intend for this to be the fight of my life. I have not intentions of being bullied.

I made tooooo many sacrifices for him. I will not sacrifice on what I am entitled to, especially if we are talking support, for the children. If there was a way I could keep OW away from my kids I would. I think in my state I can't.

I like Shepettes advice. I will have to try that. And peoplepleaser, I have not qualms about making my H cry. How stbx I don't know. All depends upon what lawyer tells me would be in my best interest to do. You see I am mad. I am usually a very good natured person. Don't make me mad. I am like one extreme to the other, never in the middle. I hate the middle. When I am good, I am good, and it takes alot to really make me mad. When I am mad, get out of my way.

shepette,

That's a great idea - Thanks!

D.

Court stenographers get a pretty good ideas which lawyers are more competent in their presentation . Get in touch with some of the firms that provide court stenographers and ask them which lawyer seems to do a good job. The other approach is to find the lawyer that has won big settlements through your newspapers.

Hi there,

Thats an impossible question to answer. The words Good and Lawyer are impossible to put together.
Necessary evil...yep. Both my wife and I have been sucked dry by the lawyers and the courts. Heck its giving us common ground ...perhaps we will like each other again....NO not really..Ha

Its really hard ...my advice is that you need to try your best to settle things together before hand and then have a shark...errr lawyer look it over.

If you really insist on finding a lawyer....look up Hellish Shark Bloodsucking Creature in the Yellow Pages. And prepare yourself to be very used.

Hey...Have a good day.

Randy

PS....My best advice really is to make sure your lawyer has the time to take your case seriously and that they are available to answer your questions...Dont go for the big names nad prices...they are overloaded and usually overrated. Get someone a few years into practice. They are still trying hard...the rest are skunks...really