When a marriage has broken down, divorce is often inevitable and a divorce lawyer needs to be found; the following attributes are the most desirable:

 *Have successfully practiced this area of law for some time *Have the proper demeanor *A conscientious person

 The best attorney to employ is one who, for at least half their time, is dealing with divorce cases and is fully skilled in mediation techniques. They will need to be someone in whom you can place your trust and feel comfortable working with so if these criteria cannot be met then you will need to look elsewhere.

Adversarial attorneys will use the hammer to crack a walnut approach which often happens when these cases go to court whereas an attorney who specializes in mediation will take a much calmer approach. To save time, always ensure you know exactly what you are going to say to your divorce lawyer and what questions you need answered.

Whether you intend to see them or speak on the phone, write everything down as this is the most efficient way to utilize your legal representative and keep a record of dates and times you spoke with them. Try to keep actual meetings to a minimum and where points have to be clarified, use the phone or send a letter.

Your divorce attorney is just a resource for legal matters so do not try to get them personally involved as that is not their function; if you need emotional support there are others who can help with this. Try not to involve you divorce lawyer with any tales of bickering that you and your ex-partner are involved in that are not directly pertinent to the divorce.

The most important aspect for you to get sorted out is the control of the situation which should be yours and then you will be able to use your lawyer more effectively. It is important they know any decisions regarding the divorce are yours to make and they are there for their knowledge and experience in providing legal recommendations. Let them know that copies of any correspondence relating to the case will need to be sent to you along with any other information and if you contact them, to reply as quickly as possible.

Not all cases need a courtroom to be decided upon so you could employ a lawyer just to help you with a marital settlement, legal information or advice. For someone taking this route, it is only important that you approach a lawyer to have certain aspects explained once you have carried out you own research. It is not uncommon for people to draw up their own marital settlements with the help of a divorce lawyer who is familiar with the case.