You want the best Orange County divorce attorney for your case, right? Every client does. But let's say you hired Orange County divorce attorney "Joe". Let's just use "Joe" as his name.
You liked Joe and you thought Joe would do a good job for you. Now, months or years later, you are disappointed. You are considering hiring a new family law attorney.
Your divorce has not concluded and you aren't happy with the results you have achieved so far. Perhaps you are concerned about escalating costs. Whatever the reason, Joe is no longer cutting it and it's time to find a new family law lawyer.
You search the internet. You talk to friends. You speak to several other attorneys. You tell them about your experience with Joe and why you think you may need a change.
This is where the plot thickens.
This is where you need to read this article before making a change. There are right reasons to hire a new divorce attorney and there are wrong ones. Let's go through two of the most common:
1. Results: The number one reason divorce and family law clients look to make a change is an unhappiness with results. I know this because I get these calls. Support and custody are the most common "disappointments." Here is how we look at the situation:
a. Did your Orange County divorce attorney, aka Joe, communicate with you about reasonable expectations you should have?
b. Did he discuss with you the level of discretion the court had on the issues?
c. Is it the result you are unhappy with because you think the judge screwed up or do you actually think your case was not presented properly?
d. Are your expectations reasonable?
These are the issues our family law attorneys look at and review with you. Why? Because firing your lawyer and hiring a new one is a waste of time and money if you are doing it for the wrong reasons.
If your expectations were never managed or you had somehow convinced yourself that you should get X result when X was not realistic, the issue may not be so much your lawyer's work in court but rather your lawyer's lack of effective communication with you. This makes a big difference in how we represent you.
If the notorious Joe really did screw up in the handling of your case, our approach changes because we have to try to undo the damage done - this includes potentially filing requests for modification orders. If on the other hand you just need a lawyer with better communication skills, we focus on sitting you down and really walking you through the options and choices you have and what are the potential outcomes that the Court may reach.
2. Billables: This is the second most common reason clients want to replace their lawyer. Our family law firm's policy is simple: If you are firing your attorney just to get out of paying the bill, we won't take on your case. If on the other hand you have been overcharged (work was done that was unnecessary, overbilling has occurred, etc.), then we will objectively look at your case and help come up with a budget and a strategy for your case.
Should you fire your Orange County family law attorney and hire another?
The short answer is that you should not decide what to do until you speak with our Orange County divorce attorneys.
Most lawyers are unfortunately willing to take on your case so long as you are willing to pay them. We don't work like that. We want to know that we can help our prospective client. Call or email us and we will discuss your case. We will get you back on the right track.