If you’ve decided to file for divorce, or if your spouse has served you with divorce papers, it is crucial to hire an attorney you can trust to help protect your interests. There is a lot to think about when choosing the right attorney to represent you.
Some people wonder if having a male or female lawyer will make a difference in how the other side treats you, or how the judge views your case. Would you be more comfortable discussing the details of your separation with a lawyer who is the same gender as you? Would you prefer to work with someone of the opposite sex? These are all things that can cross your mind when choosing the best divorce attorney for your situation.
Going through a divorce can be a stressful and emotionally challenging process. With so many factors to consider, is gender an important one?
Gender of Lawyer from the Judge’s Perspective
Will the gender of your lawyer make any impact on the judge? The honest answer: probably not.
As with most people in most professions, the judge will be more comfortable with someone they are familiar with. If your attorney is an experienced, hard-working divorce lawyer who handles a lot of cases, there’s a good chance they have experience with that judge.
That experience gives the judge a level of comfort with that lawyer. Whether the attorney is a woman or a man should not be a significant factor.
Gender of Attorney from the Client’s Perspective
At the end of the day, you have to choose a divorce attorney who you are most comfortable with. If specific issues or factors in your case make you more comfortable with an attorney of a certain gender, then by all means, choose who you want.
However, you want an attorney whose personality clicks with your own. You want someone who you feel understands your case and will fight for you. Personality and litigation style are generally more important than the gender of your attorney.
More Important Things to Consider Other Than Gender
In fact, many factors are more important than gender. Some things to look at when choosing a divorce attorney include:
- Experience – How many divorce cases has this attorney handled? Find out about the attorney’s process, how many cases they have won, and what previous experience they bring to the table.
- Personal connection – This attorney is going to need to know intimate details of your life. Are you comfortable with them? Ask yourself if this is a person you can be honest with and trust to handle a really big thing in your life.
- Time – How many cases does the lawyer currently have? Do they have enough bandwidth to give your case the attention it deserves? If quickly getting the process over with is important to you, then you have to factor in how much time your attorney can dedicate to working your case in a timely manner.
- Fees – Divorces can be expensive, and you want an attorney who you can afford and whose fees won’t add additional financial stress to your situation. Find an attorney whose legal fees match your budget, and discuss how they structure their fee arrangements to see if they can work with you.
There are so many things to consider when choosing a divorce lawyer. Don’t limit yourself to gender alone.
Contact Leigh Daniel, Attorney at Law to Get Started with Divorce
At Leigh Daniel Family Law, we know that a divorce is not a one-size-fits-all situation. We get to know all of our clients on a personal level so that we can create a case that is as individual as you are.
Contact us online or call us to schedule your consultation today.
