The legal field of Smith Family Law Firm can be a crowded place, and it can often be difficult for consumers to tell which attorney has the best skills and expertise. While any lawyer may claim to specialize in family law, a certified family law specialist must go through a more formal process and prove their knowledge by passing specific requirements set forth by the California Bar. This is one of the most important distinctions between a family lawyer and a non-certified lawyer, as it shows that the specialist has been held to high standards when it comes to understanding and practicing this type of law.
Navigating Family Law: When and Why You Need a Specialist
In addition to handling divorces and other family law cases, certified specialists can also help clients with adoptions, child protection proceedings (when the state believes that a parent isn’t able to provide for their children), and even criminal matters related to domestic violence. Many lawyers who are certified family law specialists also do mediation and collaborative law, which can often be much more cost-effective than taking a case to trial.
When looking for a certified family law specialist, you should ask friends and family members to recommend attorneys in the area, as well as check the attorney listings in your local yellow pages and search engines like Google. You should also look at lawyer and firm websites to get an idea of how experienced they are and how they work with their clients. You can also use lawyer guides such as Martindale-Hubbell and Avvo to collect information about local lawyers and law firms.
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