The Best Divorce Lawyer in Atlanta?
A friend of mine recently asked me - who is the best divorce lawyer in Atlanta? While of course my ego wanted to say me, I thought better of it than giving that self-serving answer. As I pondered the question more and thought through the numerous divorce attorneys that I have dealt with struggling to find the best answer to that question, only more questions came to my mind.
The first question was - how do you measure what makes a great divorce attorney? Of course that question only lead to the next logical question of - what things do divorce attorneys actually do? Fortunately, I had a lot of knowledge in that area. Divorce attorneys meet with clients, opposing attorneys, judges, and juries. They write letters, motions, and briefs. They argue positions and advocate for clients. They research statutes and case law as well as facts underlying cases. They are required to review complex financial and businesses documents. They must have excellent negotiation skills. And they must have excellent advocacy skills for when negotiations fail. And the list (that probably any first year law student could name) goes on and on … and hardly served to answer the question.
So I tried a different approach, what traits are most important in handling a divorce case. So I thought through the numerous cases I have handled over the years looking for what common traits existed in each case. Certainly in some cases it helped my client being more aggressive. Yet in others, it helped be less aggressive. In some cases, it was better to stay diligent (if not tenacious) in researching the factual grounds in a case. In others it was better to lay back and avoid wasting attorney’s fees. In some cases clients needed a sympathetic and understanding approach. In others, they needed a tough approach with someone that strongly suggested what they should do (or stop doing). Again, I started to realize that the answer was not going to be found with this approach.
So I did what comes natural to an attorney – I started researching what others were writing on this subject. And I read and read and really did not find that anyone was saying much substantive on the subject. So much for that idea.
So I started to think what clients are looking for in attorneys. Certainly I have talked to lots of them over the years, so the answer had to lie with that introspection. I have heard people saying they want an aggressive attorney. But I could not help but think that people that are looking for that quality will often find that an expensive legal bill and not necessarily better results. I have heard people saying they want a dad’s right advocate, mom’s rights advocate or you name it. But being an advocate for a group does not necessarily mean that you are any better of an attorney, just that you enjoy picking a side in a fight. I have heard attorneys saying they want the cheapest divorce attorney. But just because a divorce is $500 today does not mean that you will not lose thousands and thousands of dollars for years and years to come. So much for looking to clients for the answer.
So I looked to the qualities that I try to teach my associate attorneys. The importance of listening to clients and being responsive to their needs. Managing their cases in a cost effective manner that attempts to achieve the best results. Deciding a case strategy and executing same. Knowing when not to be stuck to any particular case strategy. Realizing you do not always know the answer but always trying their best to find it. And on and on… Not sure that answered the question but it gave me tons of things to meet with the associates about next week.
So I turned to my mediation training to look for the answer. Nearly everyone in litigation has a dispute of some sort with the other party. Mediation is about improving communication and finding common ground between the parties in order to find a mutually agreeable solution – preferably a win-win. But not all cases can find this middle ground. And two good parents that both want primary physical custody cannot always find a win-win for difficult custody disputes.
So I guess what I discovered is that there are numerous factors that make up the characteristics of the “best divorce attorney’. And truthfully, no one would be considered the best (or even good) in all of the possible areas that you could evaluate.
So what did I tell my friend? I said the most important thing is you find an attorney that you feel comfortable with. That attorney takes the time to decide a case strategy with you and you agree to that case strategy. You find someone that will listen to you, as much as talk to you. You find someone that you trust and respect. And you stop looking for the “best divorce attorney in Atlanta” because there really is no such thing.
