How to Find the Best Divorce Lawyer in Berkeley California?  - Berkeley Divorce Lawyers - Local Family Law Firms in Berkeley

It’s a trick question. You do not want to get the greatest divorce attorney in Berkeley, California There are several divorce lawyers in Berkeley that would do an every bit as excellent job for you. It would definitely be inconceivable to decide which one is the “absolute best.”

The actual question for you, the Berkeley divorce client, is exactly how to discover just one of those Berkeley top divorce attorneys at the perfect standards of representation and also cost for the realities of your specific case – while steering clear of every one of the common, and also in some cases dangerous, mistakes of the Berkeley divorce lawyer selection choice.

If you know what those mistakes are (I will certainly inform you in this post) and also if you have the right perspective, particularly that you wish to make your Berkeley divorce lawyer fit your instance and also not permit the lawyer to force your instance to fit his/her inflexible practice profile, then you increase considerably your chances of nailing the Berkeley divorce lawyer hiring choice. Getting you through that decision effectively is the purpose of this post.

Initially, let’s specify the 4 things to steer clear of:

1. Avoid Do-It-Yourself Divorce:

It is conceivable, repeat POSSIBLE, to acquire free family law forms from California’s judicial council or family court websites. Those free divorce forms are going to be uncompleted, obviously. You can then attempt to complete and also file the forms at your regional Alameda County divorce court by yourself without professional assistance. This is possible – however very improbable, really difficult, complex, frustrating and also extremely slow.

Do it yourself divorce would certainly be practically unfeasible, and also not smart even to try, in any  complicated or disputed family law process. It would certainly be very improbable to be a success if you have minor children of the marital relationship or have any assets or financial obligations to be detailed in case or have custody, visitation or support agreements in your case. It would definitely be foolish in a matter involving domestic violence. Do it yourself would certainly likewise be tough if you have a job or if you put any sort of value on your own time. Family law forms and also processeses are created by attorneys to confuse you to make sure that you employ – an attorney.

Please excuse me if I do not spend way too much time on the do it yourself danger. My experience on the cutting edge of California divorce for the past 40+ years is that individuals that begin the divorce procedure with the intent to attempt to get a cost-free divorce are going to  attempt DIY divorce no matter what. Somehow, probably financial, there is absolutely nothing I‘ve had the ability to discover to convince them not to.

DIY in Family Law is consistently fake affordability. You WILL almost certainly screw it up, and also screwed-up matters are much more difficult and also really expensive to remedy and also conclude. Don’t play this game. The system is created by attorneys to confuse you and also force you to hire a divorce lawyer. There are currently affordable choices available– see listed below. Don’t go it alone in Divorce or Family Law.

2. Avoid Traditional Berkeley Family Law Attorneys if Your Case is Likely to be Uncontested:

An uncontested divorce is merely one in which the parties will not be contesting any issues, including the divorce itself. The parties do not need to be happy and also they do not need to like each other. They are either totally or mainly in agreement on all issues and also are smart enough to recognize that standard full-representation divorce attorneys (with huge retainers and also billable hours) would certainly be the only winners if they disputed relatively unimportant issues in their divorce.

Standard complete representation by a neighborhood Berkeley divorce lawyer is when that lawyer will represent you in all parts of your divorce case. It is very likely to be an excellent service, but it is high priced.

If you have a disputed case, a complex case, a high-value case or a matter that includes domestic violence or the threat of domestic violence, complete representation by a Berkeley divorce lawyer is NOT to be evaded. It is a necessity.

A disputed case indicates that you and also your spouse/partner are contesting ANY issue in the case. A complicated case includes legal intricacies such as tax issues, current business issues, a special needs child of the marital relationship or any one of countless additional complex legal issues. A high-value case indicates that your marital estate is large. There is no particular dollar limit. Absolutely, if you have a high 7-figure net marital estate or higher, that is a high-value case.

If you believe that you have a disputed,complex or high-value case, you do. Work with an experienced and also high priced Berkeley divorce lawyer for complete conventional representation. Search for a certified Family Law specialist. You will certainly not be sorry you did.

If you do NOT have a disputed, complex, high-value or domestic violence case, you do NOT require conventional complete representation by a Berkeley divorce lawyer. In fact, under those conditions, complete legal representation by a Berkeley divorce lawyer ends up being a risk to your financial position. Stay clear of it.

Obviously, if you call or email a traditional Berkeley divorce lawyer, they will not tell you that you do not require their complete representation service. In fact, they will attempt to scare the crap out of you by informing you that you definitely need to have their service which your case will get screwed up without it.

That could well transpire– even in a non-DIY case. I’ll share with you next how to prevent possibly 90+% of the possible danger of getting your case screwed up if you do not go DIY and you DON’T hire a traditional Berkeley divorce lawyer on a complete representation basis.

Your case might likewise possibly get screwed up if you DID hire a complete representation Berkeley divorce lawyer. That’s likewise not probable, but it could happen.

Nevertheless, what will DEFINITELY happen if you hire a traditional complete representation Berkeley divorce lawyer to manage your uncontested divorce or family law case is that you will get screwed economically. Your case may be managed extremely well, but you will overbuy excessive services and you will pay too much for them.

There’s no requirement for that to happen anymore. Your parents had few other choices on their family law hiring decisions. Your grandparents had no other choices. You have numerous legitimate choices to make your Berkeley uncontested divorce lawyer hiring decision based upon the nature and facts of your case, not upon the BMW payments of Berkeley divorce attorneys. Continue reading.

3. Avoid Unqualified Unregulated Online Divorce Mills:

This is by far the biggest danger you face in your hiring decision in regards to damage to your future legal and financial safety. Non-lawyer online divorce is a huge market. And it is extremely dangerous to your legal and financial future.

Online divorce mills provide slick sites, wicked-cool divorce software, charges lower than MOST attorneys, no legal recommendations, no legal knowledge, no professional licensing, no legal education, no code of ethics, no malpractice insurance coverage, no knowledge of Alameda County divorce policies, no regional knowledge about Alameda County guidelines of court, regional Alameda County forms, regional practices or the policies of specific regional judges in the Berkeley area and no professional interest in you or your case. And all within an entirely uncontrolled Wild-West market widespread with all kinds of incompetence, price scams, and up-selling.

Online divorce mill charges average about $300, but what you get for that $300 charge is remarkably little– simply prepared California divorce forms. Any other services delivered are all up-sold on the basis that once they’ve got you hooked, what are you going to do – leave money already invested? You are at their mercy and you are totally unguarded. And they realize it!

See the Online Divorce Association of America’s site for a very good review of merely a few of the more common scams and up-sells to be experienced in the online divorce market.

If you choose an online divorce mill, you’ll always be dealing with low-level, inexperienced, indifferent, high turn-over personnel, call center staff members and folks in India, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Mexico or some other state. No one will conduct any type of analysis on your case to protect you and any minor children from future legal or financial damage. Customer support will be horrible due to the fact that it doesn’t need to be anything else. You will never ever have the ability to consult with anyone at an online divorce mill as it is highly likely that none are located in Berkeley or even in California

If you employ an online divorce mill believing you will conserve yourself a few dollars and you and your family wind up paying for their mistakes for many years, that is NOT a cheap divorce!

4. Avoid Me-Too Lawyer Advertising Platforms:

Me-Too Lawyer Advertising Platforms are online lawyer directories like Avvo, FindLaw, LegalZoom, Justia, Google Screened, Google Business Profile (formerly GMB) and now even Yelp. This is the newest mistake to steer clear of in your Berkeley divorce lawyer hiring choice.

Nevertheless, the possible damage here is not huge– nowhere near the damage done consistently by non-lawyer online divorce mills or indeed the damage most likely to be done by you to your own case with DIY divorce.

If you employ a Berkeley divorce lawyer you found on a mass-lawyer finder platform, you’re going to pay too much to some extent, depending on how much the lawyer is paying the lawyer finder platform, but not as severely as if you had hired a traditional complete representation Berkeley family law lawyer directly.

Obviously, you do not wish to hire a traditional complete representation Berkeley divorce lawyer you discover on a mass-lawyer platform. That would intensify your over-payment, but the important factor here is that you do not wish to hire a traditional complete representation Berkeley divorce lawyer to manage your easy uncontested divorce, no matter where you discover that lawyer!!

The danger with hiring a Berkeley divorce lawyer that you find ONLY on a mass-lawyer platform is that you’re employing a run-of-the-mill Berkeley divorce lawyer– a drone who simply stands in line with all other Berkeley divorce attorneys and HOPES that s/he will get your trade but does nothing to set apart himself or herself from the Berkeley lawyer-crowd. That lawyer does nothing to convince you that s/he is the one-of-a-kind resolution to your case. You do not want that lawyer.

You want to have a Berkeley divorce lawyer who is innovative, strong, one-of-a-kind, classy and business-savvy. In fact, why would you employ a Berkeley divorce lawyer to safeguard your own legal and financial interests when s/he does not even care for his/her own law practice interests strongly and decisively? You’re looking for a divorce lawyer who intentionally sets himself or herself apart from the Berkeley lawyer-crowd and does NOT blend in by joining Avvo and doing nothing else.

Mass-lawyer finder platforms like Avvo are free to join, which is why every divorce lawyer in Alameda County will have registered. So you should not disqualify a Berkeley divorce lawyer just because s/he has an Avvo account.

Nevertheless, you should not assume that such a Berkeley divorce lawyer is really wise or business-savvy either. The issue is that while these mass-lawyer platforms are free for the lawyer to register with, the lawyer will need to then begin to pay constantly increasing charges on a bid-basis, always contending versus other regional Alameda County divorce attorneys, to be seen on the leading page of the platform’s site. If that lawyer doesn’t pay extra, s/he’ll be on page 3 or 5 of the mass-lawyer site in even a medium-sized town. If that lawyer doesn’t keep bidding up his/her charges, she’ll not get enough trade to stay in business.

It’s a winner-take-all system with the leading really few attorneys in each town taking almost all the business– based upon how much marketing charges they can pay– not based upon how good they are or on how they have actually configured their offerings to suit your case. The barrier to that me-too lawyer getting your trade is the amount of money s/he is prepared to pay to get it, not the quality and distinctiveness of his/her service offerings.

If that me-too divorce lawyer in Berkeley pays more to the mass-lawyer finder platform and keeps paying more, s/he’ll get a featured position on the platform’s site and will get more clients, but his/her costs of getting business will constantly increase while his/her charges are relatively fixed by the flat need for consumer law services such as divorce.

The Berkeley divorce lawyer who plays the Avvo pay-to-play scheme will always require a growing number of lower revenue cases simply to stay on top of business costs. You do not desire that business-foolishness in someone you will trust with your legal and financial future.

And yes, that lawyer is going to use the exact same brain to care for your case as s/he used to screw his/her own law practice into the ground.

How to Find the Best Berkeley Divorce Lawyer – Berkeley Divorce Lawyers - Local Family Law Firms in Berkeley

So above are 4 concerns to keep clear of: do it yourself divorce, old-fashioned full-service lawyer representation in easy uncontested cases, unlicensed and uncontrolled online divorce mills and boring me-too drone attorneys who are really bad at business.

So what do you in fact search for in a Berkeley divorce lawyer?

Before I inform you, I wish to set the stage by providing you two amazing data that I did not presume true when I initially saw them. These are game-changers in the legal profession and you need to maximize them in your Berkeley divorce lawyer selection choice:

1. There is a glut of lawyers on the market and it’s serious. According to the ABA National Lawyer Population Survey, in 2017, the whole legal profession lost some 1400 jobs while almost 20,000 brand new lawyers have been added – just in 2017. And the ABA has just certified a huge new law school down in Texas. And this has been trending for years. And all of this surplus of supply while the demand for legal services has been flat or, as in the case of family law, diminishing because of DIY divorce and the overwhelming success of fraudulent and incompetent online divorce mills (both caused by the Internet).
2. From 1988 to 2012, the average solo lawyer practitioner’s yearly income, after adjusting for inflation, dropped from $70,747 to $49,130. Read that last sentence again. This is based on published data from the IRS compiled from solo lawyer practitioner tax returns for the years specified. The legal profession is in serious economic decline. More so in areas of consumer law, like uncontested divorce, where the Internet has reduced the knowledge gap between lawyers and consumers.

What to Look For:

Business-savvy lawyers who want to participate in the divorce industry are under considerable price and business-model pressure right now. Take advantage! You want to hire a Berkeley divorce lawyer who has responded to this professional crisis in the following ways.

You want as many of the following factors as you can find in one Berkeley divorce attorney:

1. Licensed local Berkeley divorce attorney (not an unlicensed out-of-state online divorce mill);
2. Offers unbundled services in uncontested cases– this suggests that you just purchase the legal services your case requires. You will normally do your own filing of docs at court and arrange for the service of filed docs on your spouse/partner. The divorce lawyer will examine your docs before they are submitted to court, identify problem concerns in your case and recommend the best choices based upon legal recommendations and regional knowledge. If you call a lawyer and ask about unbundled services and you can determine they do not know or do not desire you to know, simply hang up. They do not yet get it. Carry on. Don’t educate them.
3. Uses online divorce software that enables you to log into a client portal and enterall of the information in your case.  This not only saves money and time, but it in fact empowers you in your own case. You are the source of all datain your case. Also, there’s no 50-page hard copyone-size-fits-all questionnaire for you to complete in the lawyer’s waiting area.
4. Uses other cloud-based software and apps – listen for buzz phrases like “client portal” and “virtual law practice.” Ask about e-filing and listen closely to determine if the lawyer even knows what it is.
5. Doesn’t have a fancy office in a downtown high-rise or across from the courthouse. You don’t want to pay those rents. This is even more so during C-19. You’re looking for a lawyer in a strip mall or even one who works at home and has one or more shared office arrangements for client meetings. Don’t use a lawyer who has obviously big expenses – YOU pay them!
6. Look for a competitive edge. Look for a lawyer who understands what is going on around him or her in his or her chosen profession. The practice of law is legal education, knowledge and experience attached to a business model. If you call a lawyer and ask about unbundled services or online divorce interviews and they act like law practice is ONLY a noble profession and not a competitive business, hang up. Don’t educate them. They don’t yet get it.
7. Specialization – You don’t want to hire a lawyer who is a jack-of-all-trades on the basis that s/he might get hired for something. There are many different areas of law practice. They are very different from each other. Specialization is the name of the game today. Look at the lawyer’s website. It will tell you whether s/he is trying to get work in numerous areas of practice. It doesn’t matter if the lawyer handles maybe 2 areas of law, particularly if they are both areas of consumer law, such as divorce and bankruptcy. However, if you see that the primary practice area is DUI or personal injury or criminal law and family law appears to be an add-on, move on. Don’t explain.  Just move on. They do not handle enough family law to be any good.  They use family law as an unwanted add-on.  They will not be experienced enough and they will have to charge you a lot because you will be one of very few family law clients. Also, personal injury law paydays are huge and criminal law cases are critical to someone’s personal freedom. Where do you think your family law case will fit into that lawyer’s busy day?
8. Look for a spark – You are looking for a lawyer who has positioned himself or herself in such a way as to convince you that s/he is the unique local divorce lawyer in Berkeley that is best suited to resolving your case and your specific problems. This is hard to define, but you will understand if that lawyer makes this connection with you. If there is no such spark on the first exposure, there never will be. Move on.
9. Look for Unique Action – Obviously, this does not involve ONLY standing in line with every other lawyer at Avvo or similar me-too lawyer platforms. Avvo owns all of that attorney’s blog posts and may control his or her entire marketing outreach. Avvo takes money from that lawyer in order to sign up more lawyers in Berkeley lawyer-crowd. You’re looking for someone with style who stands out, not melds in. 1-800-DIVORCE is exclusive in Berkeley. There is only one 1-800-DIVORCE lawyer in Berkeley. Check here or complete the web form below to see if Berkeley has a 1-800-DIVORCE.

Divorce and Other Family Law Services Are Available Through 1-800-DIVORCE in Most Medium to Large Cities, Including the Following Cities, As Well As in Berkeley:

San Francisco, Concord, Daly City, Vallejo, Hayward, San Mateo, Antioch, Fairfield, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, San Jose, Santa Rosa, Stockton, Elk Grove, Sacramento, Modesto, Roseville, Salinas, Fresno, Clovis, Reno, Visalia, Santa Maria, Bakersfield, Ventura, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, Thousand Oaks