Going through a divorce can be a trying experience. And you do not want to choose a divorce attorney that will not help you during this difficult time. You need an attorney that will help you so that you can move on with your life. You should consider the following 4 tips to help you during your consultation. This will help you make the right choice.

1. Be Sure the Lawyer Specializes in Divorce Law

You may find that some lawyers advertise they handle divorce (or family) law, but this is a specialized area of law that must be handled by an experienced family law attorney. Be sure to ask your potential lawyer any of the following:

• How long have you been practicing family law?
• Does your firm specialize in family law?
• How many family law cases have you handled?
• How will you apply your expertise to my case?

Talking to more than one attorney should help you to weed out the less experienced from the successful lawyers. You should also find out if your lawyer is board-certified in family law. This certification is only given in certain states. The certification demands continuous education in family law and the lawyer must have a lot of court experience.

2. Make Sure You Can Contact Them

As your lawyer works on your case, there will be times when you need to contact him or her. At the consultation, ask if you will be communicating directly with him or her. You don't want to get frustrated because your messages never get to the attorney. You can even ask if they have an email that you can use for contact as well.

3. Find Out the Attorney's Fee Schedule

If you do not find this out before hand, you may pay for it later. What you want to find out is if the lawyer will be charging you by the hour. Remember that this could include the time he or she takes to answer your questions. Your lawyer could also charge a fixed fee, so find this out at your consultation.

4. Get An Estimate of Time For the Divorce Procedures

Filing a divorce takes time that is specific to your particular case and the laws in your state. You need to know how long this will take and what it entails. Having a time line should help you keep tabs on how well your lawyer is keeping up with your case.

Filing your divorce should include some of the following (depending on your case):

• Financial disclosure, which your spouse should also expose.
• Restraining order that should stop your spouse from changing beneficiaries or transferring assets away from your grasp.
• Estimated alimony.
• Estimated child support payments.
• Clear division of properties and any other assets.

Remember the lawyer you are considering is applying for the job, so do not be afraid to see more than one applicant.