How to Find the Best New Jersey Divorce Lawyer for You

By Charles F. Vuotto, Jr., Esq.

In today’s world most people search for goods and services online. If you are contemplating a divorce or are currently involved in a family law matter and are seeking to consider other options for a top New Jersey divorce attorney, you will likely turn to the internet. There are a number of things you should look for when trying to find the best divorce lawyer or matrimonial attorney for you.

• First and foremost, you should look for someone who practices in the county in which your case will be litigated. That doesn’t mean that their office must be located in that county; only that they practice in that county.
• It is important to find someone who is certified by the Supreme Court of the State of New Jersey as a Matrimonial Attorney.
• You may also seek out someone who is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (“AAML”). To be represented by a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers is to be represented by a leading practitioner in the field of family law. The 1,600 AAML Fellows across the United States are generally recognized by judges and attorneys as preeminent family law practitioners with a high level of knowledge, skill and integrity. Academy Fellows enjoy a reputation for professionalism, competence and integrity. http://aaml.org/about-aaml
• You also may wish to search out a divorce lawyer who embraces Alternative DisputeResolution (“ADR”) approaches to resolving divorce cases. ADR includes mediation, arbitration and collaborative divorce. Therefore, you may wish to find a divorce attorney who has been qualified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey to mediate Family Law mattersand has been trained as an arbitrator of matrimonial issues by the AAML.
• Further attributes of a top NJ divorce lawyer may include those who are or were members of the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Family Part Practice Committee or some other family law related Supreme Court committees.
• Many of the best New Jersey divorce lawyers are past Chairs of the Family Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association.
• Other top family law attorneys are members of the Editorial Board of the New Jersey Family Lawyer, which is a highly respected publication of the Family Law Section.
• In your quest for the best divorce lawyer for you, seek out attorneys who have been selected by his or her peers for inclusion in the editions of the Best Lawyers of America ® and Super Lawyersin the area of Family Law.       (Selection for Best Lawyers of America ® is based on an exhaustive and rigorous peer-review survey comprised of more than 4 million confidential evaluations by the top attorneys in the country.  For over a quarter of a century, Best Lawyers ® has been regarded – by both the profession and the public, as a definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States. There is no fee or purchase required to be listed in Best Lawyers ®. You can read about their selection methodology at https://www.bestlawyers.com/About/MethodologyBasic.aspx)
• In addition to the foregoing, you may wish to find a divorce lawyer who has received an AV Rating by Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Reviewas well as other awards and recognitions by bar organizations and his or her peers.
• Further, you want to search for top divorce lawyers among those that serve their local and state bars in various capacities.
• Please note that most of the best divorce lawyers usually lecture and write extensively. Search their websites to see how often they speak to the bench and bar and how many articles are located on their websites. A very good guide is to determine how many times a divorce attorney has spoken at the annual Family Law Symposiums, which is one of the largest and most prestigious speaking engagements for any matrimonial lawyer.
• Lastly, the best divorce lawyer, in addition to the foregoing, will be organized, articulate, responsive to you, considerate of your goals and listen closely to you. Take note of how quickly they respond to your initial and subsequent inquiries of them.

Always consider the foregoing points in your internet searches for a divorce lawyer. You will substantially increase your chances of finding the best one for your needs. See my qualifications here.

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Charles F. Vuotto, Jr., Esq. is a divorce lawyer with over 30 years experience located in Essex County, Roseland New Jersey. See his many qualifications and experience here.