6 Tips For Choosing The Best Family Lawyer Who Understands Your Needs

Separation and divorce in Australia can be a stressful, expensive and drawn-out process when you’re unsure of what to prepare or expect.

Finding a family lawyer who can provide you with a clear legal plan to achieve the best possible outcome, help you understand your legal rights, and protect your interests will lift an emotional and financial burden off your shoulders.

But what makes a “good” family lawyer in Perth? And how do you go about finding one?

A good family lawyer is like having an older sibling or best friend you can always rely on to carry you through hard times.

From negotiating on your behalf, to helping you understand separation and divorce processes, and guiding you through one of the most emotional and demanding of times.

It makes navigating the maze of family law in Australia easier, faster, more affordable, and with less stress.

To choose the best family and divorce lawyer who’s professional, supportive and understands your needs, but more importantly — will fight to protect your rights and interests, we’ve put together some little tips and tricks.

Let’s break down how to choose a good family lawyer.

1. Do you feel comfortable?

   Think back to a time when you worked with someone who made you feel uncomfortable, to the point where you didn’t want to go to work.

   Now imagine working with a lawyer who seemed like they weren’t listening to you, didn’t respect you, was too busy to truly understand your needs and situation — imagine relying on someone who wasn’t fighting for your legal rights.

   A good family lawyer takes the time to listen and helps you understand your legal rights and responsibilities. They are equally supportive as they are informative and are highly transparent every step of the way.

   You will feel much more confident when speaking to a good lawyer. If you feel more stressed talking to this person, almost like they aren’t giving you the time of day, it’s best to cross them off your list.

2. Choose a specialised family lawyer

   If you’re wondering how to find a good family lawyer, it’s a good idea to find a law firm with specialised family law lawyers. Family law in Western Australia is looked at very stringently by the Courts.

   Choosing a family lawyer ensures you get the best legal advice and approach on complex matters involving property settlement, family violence, separation and divorce, as well as child custody matters.

   What to look out for:

   • For parenting and child custody matters, make sure they have experience in working with similar cases
   • If you do end up going to court, make sure they have courtroom experience 
     • A good family  lawyer will do their best to ensure you don’t end up in court
   • Will make you feel confident and comfortable by providing you additional background information and reasoning 
   • Will ensure all options are available to you and negotiate on your behalf
     

3. Read online reviews

   Traditionally, to find a lawyer in Perth, WA would require you to pull up the Yellow Pages, create a list of applicants, and begin calling them up one by one. Thanks to the internet, you can short cut this process by simply typing in “family lawyers near me”, “family lawyer wa”, or “best divorce lawyer in Perth”. 

   Once you’ve created your list, here’s how to find family lawyers in Perth and their reviews on Google.

   1. Type the name of the law firm into Google and click the search button.
      
   2. On the right hand side of your screen you will find some extra information about the law firm, as well as a Google rating out of 5 stars and “Google Reviews”.
      
   3. Click on Google Reviews and you’ll be able to see all the reviews left by clients.
      

4. Seek family advice from a lawyer as early as possible

   “When should I hire a family lawyer?”

   Separation and divorce can be an emotional and lengthy process if either party isn’t on amicable terms.

   Knowing that you’ve got an experienced family lawyer who’s understanding, friendly and knowledgeable on your side can greatly reduce the stress and cost that comes with separation and divorce.

   This is why it’s important to seek legal advice as early as possible. It may take some time to find the right family lawyer, but you’ll have a better understanding of the separation and divorce process, and how you can achieve the best possible outcome.

5. Higher costs doesn’t always mean a quality service
   

   It has been announced that divorce rate in Australia is set to skyrocket as coronavirus restrictions and ongoing job losses push struggling relationships over the edge.

   With a huge surge for the search term ‘divorce’ on Google, it is expected that there will be a rising demand for family and divorce lawyers, which could ultimately affect how much a family lawyer will cost.

   However, it’s important to remember that choosing the most expensive lawyer doesn’t always mean that you’ll get the best result and vice versa.

   The cheapest lawyer may seem like an affordable option at first, but their hourly rate could eventually add up if their level of expertise is outmatched.

   So, what’s the verdict?

   Fixed fees and packages. Affordable family lawyers with a fixed fee or payment plan give you transparency and peace of mind in knowing exactly how much it’s going to cost you, and removing the stress of hidden fees.

6. Start with a free consultation

   • What does a family lawyer do?
   • How does a family lawyer for child custody help you get parenting rights?
   • What’s the difference between a family lawyer for divorce and a family lawyer for separation?

   You may have a million questions right now.

   When you’re going through something as stressful and emotional as divorce or separation, you simply need answers. The best place to get answers is to find a good family lawyer who will listen to you and can help you understand the whole process.

   For free family advice from a lawyer, start with a free consultation from one of our experienced family lawyers here at Savannah Legal. We’ll listen to you, help you understand your legal rights, and provide you a legal plan of the possible outcomes.

   If you need an urgent family lawyer, contact us today.