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Choosing the right California divorce lawyer to represent you and your best interests in your divorce case is one of the most important decisions you can make. Filing for divorce in San Diego can be a long and complicated process, even more so if you do not have a qualified and accessible San Diego family lawyer on your side.

Asking references of your friends and family might be your first step in finding a good San Diego divorce lawyer, but ultimately you should go with your own instincts. Schedule a consultation appointment, and make sure you bring along all the questions you need answered. This will give you the opportunity to interact with your potential lawyer and his or her staff. This first meeting is crucial. You should know after an hour or so if this is the right divorce attorney for you. Your San Diego divorce attorney is someone you will be sharing some of the most intimate details of your life and marriage with, as well as some confidential financial information. Therefore, he or she must be someone whom you trust and feel you can comfortably share all this information with, as well as someone who is qualified enough to fight for you and your best interests.

One of the most important and relevant questions to ask your lawyer in the initial consultation, is whether he or she specializes in San Diego family law. You wouldn’t go to a general physician if you have a specific condition, for example heart disease. Likewise, you shouldn’t settle on a general California lawyer who handles criminal, injury, or business cases as well. You should find a practice that mostly specializes in family law, if the practice does not, you should probably go somewhere else.

The next most important questions to ask would definitely have to do with the costs, and billing arrangements. Are the fees fixed or hourly? Are there separate costs involved? What kinds of things can you expect to see on your bill? Who else will be working on the case and are those fees separate as well? What can you do to help keep costs down?

Ultimately, you should ask what are the efforts your lawyer is willing to make for your case. You want a lawyer who will be directly involved, even with your spouse and his or her lawyer, and also will be able to communicate with you on everything. The lawyer should be willing to explain both the decisions and the recommendations which will ultimately help your case. However, in the end, you are the one who makes the decisions.

Disclaimer: This blog or article is for information purpose only, and should not be treated a professional advise or price protection guarantee. This blog is mainly used for search engine optimization and other commercial purposes and it is advised that readers seek professional consultation in the field of interest for more information.

California became the first state to implement no-fault divorce, meaning that couples could divorce each other without citing fault or accusing each other of any wrongdoing. Feminists today argue whether or not this is beneficial to women involved in San Diego family law. Many disagreements have stemmed from the debate of enacting no-fault divorce in other states like New York, where some argue that because women are less financially secure than their husbands, they may be less successful in negotiations.

However, many experts say that both men and women tend to benefit from no-fault divorce cases, in that they are generally cheaper, shorter, and less volatile. While more conservative states have consistently lobbied for making divorces harder to obtain, some research shows that easier divorces can be attributed to less domestic violence. In fact, recent research by an economist at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania has shown that easier divorces have reduced domestic violence within marriages by a third.

San Diego divorce lawyers, however, often report that their female clients don’t usually come out with the upper hand. While no-fault divorce in California may reduce the amount of often ugly confrontation, some studies show that women coming out of this type of divorce see a drop in standard living by 70% while men’s rise 40%, although the reliability of these results is questioned.

This type of inequality observed not just in California, but in other states as well, has lead female powered law firms like that of San Diego divorce attorney Marie Backes in San Diego.

Ms. Backes, who spent three years going through her own “nasty” divorce, which involved the distribution of a substantial estate and a contentious custody battle, began a law firm based on addressing and easing the pain involved in breaking up the family. Her family law clientele includes husbands and wives with multimillion-dollar estates and parents whose only real asset is their children. The Backes firm focuses on every aspect of family law, including dissolution and division of assets and debts, fraud and concealment of assets, San Diego child custody and support, spousal support and attorney fees, domestic violence and restraining orders, the protection of client assets through prenuptial, postnuptial and cohabitation agreements, and many more.

Disclaimer: This blog or article is for information purpose only, and should not be treated a professional advise or price protection guarantee. This blog is mainly used for search engine optimization and other commercial purposes and it is advised that readers seek professional consultation in the field of interest for more information. 

One reason for hiring a San Diego divorce lawyer is to reduce the amount of stress one will experience from the act of divorcing itself. There are so many more facets involved with breaking up a marriage, especially one that has lasted over 10 years. Divorce can be an extremely emotional and deeply trying time. Property, assets, relationships, children, even your own ability to love and trust again, can all be at stake in a divorce.

The San Diego divorce attorney you hire MUST be experienced in San Diego family law practice. He or she should be able to use past experiences in order to help you follow the best course of action pertaining to your individual case. He or she should also be able to provide you with a variety of options with respect to financial assets, child support and child custody rights.

Your lawyer should be able to give a more objective outlook on your situation, as well as have the resources to sort through often complicated documentation and red tape. Do it yourself services do not offer professional San Diego legal advice which you may be in need of.

An good lawyer will be able to tell you what kind of settlements are looked upon as fair and just by the court, based on previous experience. They can encourage you as a client to ask for a higher or lower settlement, depending on the outcome anticipated.

Most people rely on word of mouth, when it comes to finding a divorce lawyer. It is helpful to have first hand accounts of what kind of experience and talents a specific lawyer or law firm has. The next step is to check with the city’s bar association. You can ask for a recommendation or request a directory either in person, or online.

Disclaimer: This blog or article is for information purpose only, and should not be treated a professional advise or price protection guarantee. This blog is mainly used for search engine optimization and other commercial purposes and it is advised that readers seek professional consultation in the field of interest for more information. 

In divorce actions, legal malpractice may occur. If a client suspects that his or her attorney is liable for malpractice, he or she may file a civil malpractice action against the attorney or may file a complaint with the State Bar Association.

Attorney's Duty to the Client

The San Diego attorney has a duty to the client to represent him or her in a zealous manner. The attorney is the client's advocate and speaks on his or her behalf. The attorney represents the client in all courtroom procedures and out-of-court procedures. The attorney owes the client a fiduciary duty to represent him or her in the San Diego divorce action. The attorney should be looking out for the client's best interests at all times and should ensure that the client receives a fair property division as well as alimony and child support, if warranted. The client should place complete trust in his or her attorney. The attorney should timely file any documents and conduct him or herself in a professional manner at all times.

Conflicts of Interest

If the San Diego divorce attorney has a conflict of interest, such as he or she is representing both the client and the client’s spouse or he or she had represented the spouse in the past, a conflict of interest may exist. A conflict of interest may occur if the attorney's personal interest, another client's interest, or a former client's interests would conflict with the representation of the current client. A conflict of interest is defined as an interest that the attorney has or may have had that would conflict in some manner with his or her current representation. Moreover, a conflict of interest may also be present if other lawyers in the firm have had relations or represented clients that are adverse to the present client's position. Generally, the San Diego divorce lawyer cannot represent two clients that have adverse interests.

Statute of Limitations for Filing Legal Malpractice Actions

Every state has a different statute of limitations period limiting the amount of time that a client may file an action against his or her attorney. If the client suspects that his or her attorney committed some type of malpractice by either breaching his or her duty to the client or that the attorney had a conflict of interest, the client should consult an attorney or file an action on his or her own. The client may contact the State Bar Association in his or her state and ask for advice, as well.

Disclaimer: This blog or article is for information purpose only, and should not be treated a professional advise or price protection guarantee. This blog is mainly used for search engine optimization and other commercial purposes and it is advised that readers seek professional consultation in the field of interest for more information.