Are you in the process of looking for a divorce lawyer and are wondering if it matters if your lawyer is board certified? If so, it will help to know more about what this means.
What Does It Meant To Be Board Certified?
Any lawyer that is board certified should have extensive legal experience prior to their certification. This does not just mean experience as a lawyer, but also experience dealing with specific parts of the law. A board-certified family lawyer needs to have trial experience with both judges and juries, mediation experience, and even going through the appeals process with clients. A board-certified lawyer must also continue their education after they become certified.
Each state is going to have their own requirements before a lawyer can apply for board certification and how to maintain it. Check with your local laws if you want more information on what the minimum amount of experience and education a board-certified lawyer will have where you live.
Is Board Certification The Most Important Thing To Look For?
While board certification does help you know how much experience and education a divorce lawyer has, it is not always the top thing that matters when seeking a lawyer. It's important to realize that your divorce lawyer is going to be someone that you are working with for a very long time to finalize your divorce. You want that person to be someone that's easy to work with who understands your case.
That said, a board certified lawyer gives you a higher chance of working with a lawyer that has handled a case just like yours. It's important to ask any lawyer that is not board certified about their experience levels when it comes to handling your case to verify that they match up.
Is It Worth Paying More For A Board-Certified Lawyer?
The specific details of your divorce will determine the type of legal team that you need on your side. If you have a fairly simple divorce that is uncontested and with very little property to divide, board certification may not be necessary to get the job done.
If you have a highly contested divorce where you know there will be a battle with custody and property division, then you can certainly benefit from the experience of a board-certified lawyer. For example, when something is on the line that is as important as child custody, you want all of the advantages that you can get. This includes even having experience with local judges to understand what they are looking for when making a custody decision.
Contact a divorce attorney in your area to learn more.
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