For many people, hiring a divorce attorney is the first time they have required the services of an attorney. Whether you are the plaintiff (the party initiating the divorce and filing the divorce papers) or the defendant (the party who receives the divorce papers) each of you must hire your own attorney.

A divorce can be painful, make you feel vulnerable, and the process will uproot your life completely. Because of this you need a divorce attorney who will truly be an advocate for you. A good divorce attorney will shoulder the legal burden so that you can go about the process of beginning to build the foundation for a new life after the divorce process is over.

A great way to start is by asking people you know and trust for referrals. Once you get a list of names start researching them online. If you don’t get any good recommendations from friends, then you can begin your search online. Look for divorce attorneys in your geographic area and look at their websites. Read their bios and try to get a feel for their approach. Look to see how many years they have been practicing, if they have won any industry awards, and if they have positive reviews from clients either on their website or elsewhere on the web.

Do a search on the attorney’s name to see if any adverse results come up in the search engines. Make sure that they are not being sued by clients, or have a lot of negative reviews. Finally, when you have come up with a short list of three or five names, schedule consultations with a few of them to get a feel for their manner and style in person. Jot down a list of questions to ask about your situation.

Look for an attorney that focuses on family law and divorce, who has a good reputation in your area, and for whom you don’t find any suspicious “red flags” when you are doing your research.

Bear in mind that you are not looking for an attorney to be your BFF. You do, however, want a lawyer with whom you can develop a working rapport, who is friendly, who will return your calls and keep you informed about the progress of your case.

When you are ready to hire a divorce attorney, contact the law firm of Miller Upshaw Family Law, PLLC. With more than 27 years of combined experience, we are here to relieve stress for our clients during divorce and other family law disputes in the Nashville area. Call 615-391-4200 and schedule an in-person or video consultation today.