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Handy Guide To Choosing The Right Divorce Lawyer in B.C.

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Choosing the right divorce lawyer for you and your specific situation is a profoundly important decision. The research you undertake and the information you discover will have a significant impact on determining you and your children’s future.

Choosing the wrong divorce lawyer when you are getting divorced can significantly impact everything related to your proceedings. It can impact your finances, how long the process will take, and the impact on a family if you are divorcing with young children.

Conducted properly, your family law matter in BC will come to a satisfactory (to all parties) legally binding conclusion. However, the quality of the questions you ask and the quality of the answers you get, will determine how long and costly it becomes as well as how friendly and amicable it is.

Follow the question format below for choosing the right divorce lawyer for you in BC. These will help you to choose the right divorce lawyer for your matter, in British Columbia.

Choosing a family law lawyer in BC. 

Part 1, BEFORE the first appointment

Think of this period as a "checking out" process. If it was a car you'd be going around and "kicking the tyres!".

Do your best to get to know someone and how they work before you meet them. For example, if you talk to them on the phone, how helpful and patient are they? How helpful, prompt and reliable are any conversations you have with the office staff. In the case of Pathway Legal we will answer your questions quickly and as fully as we can.  But if the practice you are communitcating with are sluggish and full of excuses that may be your first warning!

Is your potential lawyer “good” at what they do?

  1. Have you looked at any online reviews for this lawyer?
    Top family law lawyers are rated everywhere by former happy clients. One place to check is The Google Review page. Here is the Pathway Legal Google reviews page as a good example. 
  2. Will the lawyer go to court if necessary?
  3. How often do they take cases to mediation or other dispute resolution processes, other than divorce litigation?
    When divorce mediation doesn’t work, you can still litigate, but as we say elsewhere, avoiding court can be the best thing you do for your kids, your finances, and your sanity.
  4. How long does it take your family law lawyer to get a case from start to finish?
    Do your best to get a feeling for this from any reviews. This is also an important question to ask at your first appointment with a divorce lawyer in BC.

Does the  lawyer “do” what you need/want them to do?

    1. Before an appointment, find out if your prospective family  is trained in dispute resolution.

    Some lawyers for family law have extensive dispute resolution training, way beyond what law school taught them. Your family law lawyer must have this additional training if they will be any good.

    2. But my matter is amicable and friendly! ❤️
    Dispute resolution training teaches lawyers to be non-combative, which is good for you and your changing family. This means you resolve your matter quicker, better, faster, and with less money spent lining the pockets of the divorce attorneys involved.

    3. Do they communicate? 
    Top-rated divorce lawyers keep you in the loop. They have a system that provides you with copies of all documents, letters, and filed court materials. Will your family law lawyer do this

    4. Does the lawyer specialise in family law matters?

Choosing the right divorce lawyer in B.C.

Part 2, Questions for the first appointment

What is your prospective family law lawyer’s approach to getting your matter finalised?

  1. Has he or she explained to you the various processes available to resolve your matter (other than going to court)?
  2. What is their view about going to court instead of other modes of resolving the matter?
  3. How many cases have they taken to court? And what proportion go to court?
  4. Of the matters they have taken to court, how many have been successful?
three divorce lawyers conversing in nature

Questions to ask yourself about your prospective divorce lawyer. 

  1. Has the lawyer inspired your confidence by “taking charge” (in a respectful way) during your initial meeting?
  2. What has your experience been with their office and office staff? How smooth was the intake process?
  3. Do you feel a connection with your lawyer?
  4. What does your lawyer’s “office” look like? Is it presentable and organized? It better be.
  5. Does the lawyer seem focused and supportive? Are they listening to you?
  6. Do you feel that the lawyer just tells you what you want to hear so you will hire them? If so, run. The best divorce lawyers tell you both the good news and the bad. 
  7. Do they have time for your case?
  8. Do they want your case?

The family law lawyer’s billing practices:

  1. Are the lawyer’s billing practices clear and transparent? Ask for a sample example of their bill and payment details.
    Nothing is worse than getting a bill from a lawyer you were not expecting. You want to ensure they have explained the average cost of divorce mediation compared to divorce litigation. You want to know what you are being billed for and how much.
  2. Does your lawyer offer flat fees as an option?
    Sometimes it is excellent to know what it will cost from the outset. Many divorce lawyers are starting to recognise that clients love flat fees and are incorporating them into their practice. Pathway Legal uses a flat fee approach.
  3. Do they charge for your legal assistant’s or paralegal’s time?
  4. What are the average bills your family law lawyer’s clients pay to conclude their matter?
    Paralegals cost less money than lawyers, and they can do a lot of the leg work on your matter. Find out if your lawyer utilizes a paralegal’s skills.

Take a break before choosing the right divorce lawyer for you

The process of choosing the right divorce lawyer can easily be rushed. And it's is a lot to think about too! We know.

However, walking out of an office and even talking to several divorce lawyers will help you when choosing the best  divorce lawyer. Taking time, weighing up these questions and, more than anything, reviewing your answers to these questions will make your separation and divorce process a much smoother process. The entire Pathway Legal BC Team all wish you well, whoever you work with.