Reviews, reviews, reviews. A good law firm will have plenty of them.
In Pennsylvania, there are plenty of simple, no-fault, uncontested divorce lawyers. A reputable lawyer has nothing to hide. In fact, the right divorce lawyer wants you to know all about the way they do business and how satisfied their clients have been. Hiring the right law firm makes for an easy, affordable, and fast uncontested divorce so you can get your new life started with the least amount of stress possible. Hiring the wrong lawyer often means feeling like your case has been lost in a stack of paperwork. Worse yet, you may feel that you've been deceived into wasting your time and money. Divorce lawyers will all tell you how great they are and why you should hire them. The real question is, what do their clients have to say about how their divorces were handled? Do they have client testimonials available on their website? More importantly, does the lawyer have client reviews on a third-party website such as Avvo.com or a similar website that is NOT controlled by the law firm? In order to post reviews on Avvo, the client has to want to review the lawyer, meaning their experience was important enough to remark about it. Odds are that if there are mostly great reviews, you're more likely to have a better experience. If the reviews are bad, you should call and ask the lawyer what happened. If you're not satisfied, keep looking.
Interview your lawyer. After all, you're hiring him/her!
Remember, you are the one with the money. If you've already read reviews and feel comfortable in hiring your Pennsylvania uncontested divorce lawyer, that's great. But if you're not sure about hiring a particular lawyer, call and talk to her/him. If your divorce attorney is too busy to give you a free initial consultation for a few minutes before he has your money, odds are he or she will be too busy after he has it. Ask the lawyer if she's available via email or telephone if you have questions during your case. Will your lawyer send you proactive updates about your case, and if not, how will you know what's going on? Can you file your case with your attorney today?
Make sure that your simple divorce case is important to your attorney, too.
Obtaining an affordable uncontested divorce doesn't mean that you should have to feel like a small fish in a big pond. Many Pennsylvania uncontested divorce law firms will try to hook you in with a low price, but then sell you a faster divorce "package". A good lawyer will have modern systems in place to make sure that your uncontested divorce case is handled accurately, quickly and efficiently. You should be getting proactive email updates along the way, and if you have any questions, they should be answered. Ask your lawyer how long it will take to fix any small mistakes you may make, such as spelling or dates. They should be able to fix any mistakes and have new paperwork to you within a day at no additional charge. An efficient system that uses modern technology will save your lawyer time and money, and that means you shouldn't have to pay more just to keep your case moving along. Frankly, there's too much competition out there for you to settle for a slow uncontested Pennsylvania divorce.
Know what you're getting for your money.
There is no reason to pay several hundred dollars for a simple, no-fault, uncontested Pennsylvania divorce. An efficient law firm which uses technology appropriately will know how to make money and still provide excellent divorce services at an affordable price. That said, make sure that you understand that you are paying for limited divorce services. Most attorneys will prepare a marital settlement agreement, but if you need a lawyer to "fight it out" with your spouse, or to negotiate for you, be prepared to pay more. Remember, time is money. Technology can only save so much time in preparing the divorce paperwork and in automating many of the steps involved. You should carefully read your lawyer's Client Services Agreement so you know what services you are getting and what you are expected to do. Obviously, if you do not follow your lawyer's instructions, your costs will go up. A good lawyer will let you know exactly what to expect.
Experience Counts….but What Kind?
It's important that your law firm and the lawyer handling your uncontested Pennsylvania divorce knows how to do the job right the first time. Make sure your attorney has a clean record at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Disciplinary Board and is accredited with the Better Business Bureau. Lastly, know why your attorney practices in the area of uncontested Pennsylvania divorce law. Is it all for the money, or does he/she have a more compelling personal story. Has he/she gone through an uncontested divorce and can he/she relate to your concerns on a personal level?
Please feel free to call Attorney Jim Cairns to talk about your case at 888-863-9115, or visit our Divorce Wizard. The Divorce Wizard is just like sitting in our office for a free initial consultation, except at a time and place that is convenient for you. You can get started and file your divorce with us now online, as well.
