Home $ What Makes a Good Divorce Lawyer?

Who are The Best Divorce Lawyers in Houston?

Man holding book sits across table from woman and man with divorce policy papers in front of them. In working with our Houston divorce modifications lawyer, our experts will help guide you through the stressful legal divorce proceedings.

When facing a divorce, you want to have a good divorce lawyer who can get you the best outcome possible for your case. For many people, hiring a divorce lawyer will be their first experience dealing with the legal system in Texas. As such, you should know what to look out for when searching for a good divorce lawyer.

At Skillern Firm, we know what makes a great divorce lawyer. In fact, our team is composed of some of the best divorce attorneys that you can find. The main reason for this is because we care about your needs and, we understand the importance of having good quality legal representation.

Our law firm has a wide range of experience in family law, and we can offer you legal guidance with divorce proceedings, child custody battles, division of property, child support, spousal support, and more. Our priority is to make divorce proceedings as smooth as possible and to prevent you and your family from suffering any more.

If you are facing a divorce and are looking for a good divorce lawyer, we recommend that you call our firm today to speak with one of our experienced divorce attorneys. We are here to help you every step of the way.

Call us today at 936-213-8479 to schedule a consultation.

Important Qualities in Divorce Lawyers

Many of our clients are unsure about what to look for when searching for a good divorce attorney. A huge part of finding a good attorney depends on your own needs and the results that you expect from a divorce. For example, a divorce lawyer that specializes in child custody battles may not be the right match for a client that does not have children.

However, there are some qualities that you should always look out for when finding a divorce lawyer:

Qualified

First and foremost, your divorce lawyer should have the requisite qualifications to represent you through your divorce process. Ensure that the lawyer you choose to represent you has a law degree from a reputable school and that they are qualified to practice law in Texas. If your ex-spouse is living in a different state, you must ensure that your lawyer is qualified to handle family matters in this state, as well.

Legal qualifications can also include awards, recognitions, testimonials from clients, references from other lawyers or a Judge, and membership in different law groups and organizations. For example, one of our Senior Associates, Kathleen LeFevre, has achieved Top Family Lawyer 2018 by Houstonia and Texas Rising Star Attorney 2019 by Thomson Reuters.

Experienced

It is important that your lawyer has ample experience working with family law, and in particular, divorce proceedings. A good divorce lawyer should be well versed in the ins and outs of divorce proceedings and should know how best to argue and represent your case. If you are dealing with child support or custody issues, you should ensure that your lawyer has experience with these types of cases.

Good divorce lawyers should have experience dealing with all aspects of family law, including divorce cases, child matters, distribution of property, and spousal support, amongst others. They should also be experienced in both mediation and court battles, as you never know which route your case may take.

Communicative

Once you have established that your lawyer has the requisite experience and qualifications, you should then assess whether they have the right communication skills. When going through a divorce, you want to ensure that you are kept in the loop throughout the entire legal proceeding. Your divorce lawyer must be able to keep you up to date and inform you of any case updates, hearings, motions, or court dates.

Divorce involves a lot of back-and-forth between you, your attorney, and your spouse’s attorney. Your divorce lawyer should be able to communicate your needs and desires effectively with everyone in the case to ensure that you get the results you are looking for. In addition to this, if your divorce lawyer is a good communicator, they can try to resolve issues with your ex-spouse outside of the courtroom, which can make the process much easier.

Local

If your divorce case is in Texas, it is important that you seek representation from a family law firm that is based in the state of Texas. Many law firms operate all over the country, and they may have lawyers who are not experienced with local laws. When it comes to divorce, the law differs vastly throughout the country, so it is important that your legal representative has knowledge and experience with Texas divorce laws.

Additionally, a divorce is a lot more than just court proceedings. Your attorney should be available to mediate with your spouse’s lawyer in person and try to reach most decisions outside of the court. A divorce attorney that is not local may not be able to be present for face-to-face meetings, which can limit your ability to have a collaborative divorce.

At Skillern Firm, we operate solely in Texas, and all of our divorce lawyers are highly experienced with local divorce laws and court proceedings. We offer services all throughout Houston, Harris County, Sugar Land, Katy, Cypress, Fort Bend County, and Montgomery County.

Accessible

A good lawyer should be accessible to you at all times. This does not mean that you should be able to have phone calls with them morning, noon, and night. However, it does mean that they should be available to talk with you and listen to your concerns in a timely manner. If a lawyer is never around to talk to you because they are working on too many cases or are not very accessible, it can cause you a lot of anxiety and be detrimental to your case.

Even if your divorce lawyer is dealing with multiple cases at the same time, they should still be able to communicate with you often about the progression of the case, keep you updated on everything that is going on, and be able to listen to the thoughts and concerns that you have.

Good Reputation

It is easy to figure out whether a lawyer is good nowadays thanks to the Internet. You can read reviews and testimonials from previous clients online before you decide to contact a lawyer. You may also receive recommendations from friends or colleagues who have gone through a similar situation to you.

When trying to find reviews for attorneys, you should always check independent review sites, such as AVVO. Our managing attorney, Mathew Skillern, and our Senior Associate, Caitlin Thorpe, both have an AVVO score of 10.0, which is the highest score you can achieve.

Focuses on Negotiation and Mediation

The divorce process can cause irreparable damage to relationships, particularly when there is a lot of contention about the division of assets and property or custody issues. Taking a case to court is often the last thing that spouses want to do, as it can cause both parties a lot of stress and result in both sides being unsatisfied with the end result. Additionally, divorces that go to court are often much more expensive.

Good family lawyers truly try to resolve family law cases before having to go to court. Your divorce lawyer should be experienced in negotiation and mediation and should allow the time for you and your ex-spouse to come to an agreement that suits both of your needs. If you have children together, you should be able to come up with joint custody or sole custody arrangement that works for both of you.

Here at Skillern Firm, we always prioritize negotiation and mediation over bringing the case to court. We know how important it is to maintain an amicable relationship with your ex-spouse where possible, and we know how stressful and expensive it can be to bring a case to court. Our divorce attorneys are experienced in negotiating outside of the courtroom, and we will always do so with your best interests at heart.

Case-Building Skills

A good divorce lawyer will be able to build a robust case on your behalf effectively. Many lawyers are able to understand divorce law and mediate with attorneys and a Judge. However, not all lawyers are able to build a strong case using facts, research, and documents to ensure that you get what you need from the divorce.

A good lawyer should be prepared to bring the case to a Judge if necessary and have the ability to fight on your behalf to ensure that your voice is heard.

Experience With Domestic Violence Cases

If you have been the victim of domestic violence by your ex-spouse, it is important that your attorney has experience dealing with domestic violence cases. The most important thing for you is that you and your children are safe and that you are able to support yourself through this difficult time.

Your divorce attorney should be able to help you get a court order to keep your ex-spouse away from you if you are in danger. Our law firm has several attorneys who are experienced in handling domestic violence cases. They will help you with getting a court order and ensure to handle your case appropriately.

Do I Need a Divorce Attorney in Texas?

There is no law requiring spouses to have legal representation when filing a divorce in Texas. It is possible to do it alone, without any legal guidance or advice. However, even if you and your spouse seemingly agree on everything, it is still strongly recommended to at least speak with a divorce attorney.

As divorce is so personal and has a huge impact on your life, it is likely that both parties’ judgments will be somewhat altered by their emotional state. Of course, your own personal judgments will play a part in your ability to make compromises or argue your case effectively.

In many cases, one spouse ends up getting a lot more than they were legally entitled to because the other spouse did not want to let the case go on too long or didn’t want to spend money on attorney fees. In fact, investing in a good divorce attorney can save you a lot of money in the long run and can prevent your and your children’s lives from being impacted by a divorce decree that you no longer want.

Divorce lawyers have no personal involvement in your case, and they will approach it impartially to ensure that you are getting the best settlement possible. Divorce matters involve a lot of mediation, so having an unbiased mediator present during discussions can make it a lot easier.

How Do I Know If an Attorney is Right For Me?

Above, we have discussed objectively what a good attorney should look like. However, divorce is extremely personal, and it is important that you have the right lawyer representing you. The right lawyer should be someone who is not only qualified and experienced in family law, but also someone that understands your needs and that you feel comfortable trusting with your case.

The legal process of a divorce can often go on for quite some time, so personal considerations should be of huge importance when choosing a divorce lawyer. You should take into account that you will be spending time with your attorney regularly, and you will be communicating with them about highly personal aspects of your life.

Some questions you can ask yourself when searching for a lawyer include:

Do I feel comfortable speaking about my life with this person, without being judged?
Has this attorney ever worked with a case similar to mine?
Would I prefer to work with an attorney of the same gender as me?
Do we share the same morals?
Based on our initial consultation, can we communicate together effectively?
Does this candidate have experience with the main issues of my case?
Do they have good independent reviews?

What Makes a Good Divorce Lawyer?

One of the most important factors of a successful divorce case is having a good divorce lawyer. Divorce attorneys who are experienced in dealing with all aspects of family law, including divorce legal issues, child support and custody matters, and division of assets, will be able to take over your case completely and ensure that you get the result that you desire.

Your attorney should not only offer you good legal advice but also listen to and understand your needs, which is so important in divorce cases. At Skillern Firm, our attorneys specialize in divorce cases and we know how to get you the best results by prioritizing mediation and ensuring that your needs are listened to.

We have built up a great attorney-client relationship due to our hard work and dedication, and our client’s testimonials speak for themselves. Our priority is ensuring that you have the best divorce attorneys representing your case and that your needs are understood.

Call us today at 936-213-8479 to schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys.