Divorce lawyers

[kikki]

I have consulted two lawyers with regard to divorce. One was an ice maiden and very negative about everything I said. I took a colleague with me to my second meeting with her because I thought that I was just being paranoid. She said the the woman seemed totally disinterested in my and barely looked me in the eye. I changed to another solictor and she seems just as negative. Are all divorce lawyers like this or have I just me two bad ones? I am claming legal aid and don't know if I can change lawyer again. I also think that this is why they both showed little or no interest in my situation. At the end of the day I have a son, but no property with this man and when it comes to a custody battle I want a lawyer who is on my side.

I think you've just come across two odd ones. All the divorce lawyers I know are fairly on the ball and most are very client-friendly, regardless of your legal aid status.

Have you asked around for a recommendation?

Of course you want a lawyer who is on your side!
I have a really good lawyer who really knows his stuff, but the first solicitor I saw was not very good at all & I didn't go back to her after my first meeting.
I don't know where you stand with regards swapping lawyers once you sign up for legal aid though, as I hadn't got that far when I changed mine.

Yes I did find my second lawyer via a recommendation but the lady who recommended her used her in a Hague convention battle at the royal courts of justice and the career boost incentives for her lawyer were huge if she won. My little old divorce case seemed a little mundane for her.
Any recommendations for a good divorce lawyer who accepts legal aid in the London area?

Kiki, although the fact that you're on Legal Aid shouldn't matter, most firms now, certainly in my area of the South East don't do legal aid any more because it's not financially viable to do it unless you take a sausage machine approach, using newly qualified and inexperienced (therefore cheap) lawyers.
We stopped doing legal aid several years ago because we were actually making a loss.
What exactly are you arguing about with your ex? If it's purely a Children Act matter, you'd be better off going to a good mediator to help you sort out the arrangements than going to a disinterested lawyer.
You can self refer to mediation and it's pretty cheap, and subsidised to people on low incomes.
If you definitely need a lawyer, try www.resolution.org, which is the national governing body for family specialists.

Hi Mumbles....chum,
I have never heard of resolution.org, thanks for that piece of info.
I guess the main thing is over the visitation rights of our son. I guess all the other stuff is just par for the course in after a marriage breakdown.