If you’re like many parents looking for a family law attorney in Stockton, CA, you’re doing so because you need to find the best child custody lawyer for your case.

But where do you even begin?

How to Find the Best Child Custody Lawyer for Your Needs

Before you start calling child custody lawyers, you’ll need to do a little homework. While attorneys are highly trained, everyone has his or her own personality, negotiation style and communication style – and that means it’s up to you to find one who can help you on your terms.

Here’s how to find the best child custody lawyer for your specific needs:

• Ask friends and family for referrals
• Read online reviews and testimonials
• Conduct an over-the-phone interview

Asking Family and Friends for Referrals

One of the best ways to find the best child custody lawyer is to ask family and friends about attorneys they’ve used in the past. (This can tell you two things, actually – which lawyers are likely to be a good fit and which ones probably aren’t.)

By talking to family and friends, you’ll be able to get real, honest opinions of different lawyers’ performance, skills, and strengths and weaknesses. You can find out whether the people closest to you would have done things differently, whether the lawyers they chose were easy to work with, and so much more.

Reading Online Reviews and Testimonials

After you’ve gotten recommendations from family and friends, it’s time to dive into online reviews. Check the attorneys’ Facebook pages, Google and Yelp reviews, and whatever else you can find when you search their names. In the majority of cases, the reviews you see online are put there by past clients to help others make the right decisions.

Check sites like Avvo, too, which offer star ratings for lawyers based on people’s first-hand experiences.

Conducting an Over-the-Phone Interview

When you’ve narrowed your choices down to just a few child custody lawyers, you can find the best one by making a few phone calls. In addition to getting a feel for how each attorney handles cases – and how personable he or she is toward you, which can make a huge difference – you’ll be able to ask several questions.

Here’s a quick list of potentially helpful questions to ask a child custody lawyer the first time you talk:

• How long have you been practicing law? While you don’t have to work with the oldest lawyer in the proverbial phone book, experience matters. In your situation, it may be best to work with a child custody attorney who’s seen it all, and who’s been through tough negotiations to gain knowledge that could benefit you.
• Do you practice other types of law? Because family law is very nuanced, the laws change often, and things can get pretty complicated in cases where so many emotions are involved, you may find it best to work with a lawyer who practices only family law. A lawyer who only practices family law may be better able to focus on how California custody laws apply to your case than a lawyer who does personal injury and criminal cases, as well.
• Given what I’ve told you about my case, what are the possible outcomes? While no attorney can guarantee a specific outcome, the lawyers you talk to should be able to give you some possible scenarios and solutions.

Need to Know More About How to Find the Best Custody Lawyer?

Call us and schedule your consultation with a Stockton custody lawyer today – we may be able to help you. While you’re here, you can also explore our articles on:

• Divorce
• Child custody
• Child support

Call us at (209) 989-4425 or get in touch with us online to talk to a lawyer who can help today. We’ll help you with every aspect of your divorce, from child custody and child support to alimony and property division. We can also refer you to a divorce therapist who can help you work through the emotions you’re experiencing and begin setting boundaries with your ex.