Any divorce, amicable or not, is never a pleasant experience to go though.  If things are acrimonious, or become so during the process, then it can often be a thoroughly emotionally draining experience.  Even more so if there are children involved. 

If you find yourself in such a situation, choosing the right divorce solicitor to guide, advise and support you throughout the process will help immeasurably. Family Law Solicitor Rachel Macwilliam discusses important aspects to consider to ensure you make the right choice for you.

Personality

As well as being happy that your solicitor knows their stuff, and has had a reasonable amount of experience in their field, there are other considerations to be taken into account which you may not have considered, such as personality fit.  Enduring such an emotional and stressful process is made much easier if you can find a solicitor who you get on with and who you can relate to.  After all, you will be discussing something very personal, so feeling as comfortable as you can with the person who is representing you throughout the process will make it much easier.  Lawyers are often seen as tough nuts, which of course has to be the case at times, but you’ll find some of us have a softer side too! 

Local to you

Choosing a solicitor who is based locally will mean that you can meet face to face. For all the tech available to us these days, in our experience, clients find the process far easier when they know they can come into the office and discuss their matter in person.

Recommendation

Many of our clients come to us via recommendation from family or friends.  There’s nothing more reassuring that a close friend or relative referring to you to someone.  Starting out on the process of divorce is intimidating enough, so there is some comfort to be gained by choosing a firm and solicitor with whom a friend or relative has had a positive experience and achieved a good outcome. Failing that, online testimonials and reviews can also help you get more of a feel for the type of firm or solicitor you want and help you in choosing the right divorce solicitor for you.

Accreditations and awards

As well as your solicitor’s legal qualifications, you may want to check which accreditations they have and whether they have been recognised for their work and received any awards.  Organisations such as the Solicitors Regulatory Authority, The Law Society and the Resolution Foundation should all be able to provide you with further information and hopefully reassurance about the firm and solicitor you are considering to give you a more detailed picture.

Get in touch

If you are considering divorce, our friendly and experienced family law team would be pleased to hear from you.  You can reach us on 01872 241408 or email info@penderlaw.co.uk