How do I find the right lawyer?

People getting divorced often need legal assistance. We reveal what you need to look out for.

If you want to get divorced, you do not necessarily need to consult a lawyer. If you and your partner agree on how the separation should proceed, that no maintenance should be paid and that no gains should be divided, then you do not need legal assistance. It is sufficient to conclude a divorce settlement with a notary. This can also stipulate the transfer of the property, for example. Ultimately, this is much cheaper than going to court, where legal fees and court costs are incurred.

However, amicable agreements are the exception. In most cases, separation and divorce are accompanied by disputes. If there are children together, the separation phase becomes even more complex because questions about custody and access rights arise. In this case, you should definitely seek legal advice from a lawyer specializing in divorce or family law or a specialist lawyer for family law. In addition to questions of maintenance, this often also involves the joint property and the question of who should continue to live there, who should move out and where the children should live in the future.

Around 150,000 marriages are divorced in Germany every year. There are 9,685 lawyers specializing in family law for this purpose. This makes this specialist area the second largest specialist area after employment law with 10,265 licensed lawyers (source: German Federal Bar Association; figures for 2017). The number of all licensed lawyers has risen sharply in recent years, from 56,638 to 163,772 between 1990 and 2016. With such an abundance, it should not be a problem to find an expert in your area.

When looking for a divorce lawyer, you can ask your friends and acquaintances. Perhaps someone has already needed a lawyer for a family dispute or divorce and has had good experiences. A divorce lawyer does not necessarily have to be a specialist lawyer for family law; lawyers without this additional qualification who have specialized in this area of law for many years can also provide professional legal assistance.

You should check the website of your potential lawyer to see how long he has been involved in divorce cases, whether he has a lot of legal information on this subject area, publishes current judgments on this area of law on his homepage, etc.

Of course, the chemistry between you and your potential legal advisor should also be right. You will certainly be able to assess this during a non-binding initial consultation. A divorce is a crisis situation with many ups and downs, so mutual trust is essential.

In addition to the many things you have to take care of in this difficult situation, do you not have time to sell your property? Contact us now, we will be happy to take care of it for you.

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