Best website to find honest lawyer reviews?

[How to communicate after a contentious divorce...]

I am in Ohio looking for a lawyer and am wondering what website people found useful?  I hear that Avvo is highly subjective and can be swayed by a smart attorney.  Actually, what lawyer review website is not going to have some possible corruption.  Yesterday, the auto mechanic that repaired my car wanted feedback on the phone about the service and then asked if it was ok to post my review on a social website like Yelp.  Wow! That seems shady I think.  I am just looking for the best one that will be prepared for my case without going all around town talking to everyone.  Everyone's website says they deal with high conflict divorce.  So how do I choose? 

[justaboutdone]

I am in Ohio looking for a lawyer and am wondering what website people found useful?  I hear that Avvo is highly subjective and can be swayed by a smart attorney.  Actually, what lawyer review website is not going to have some possible corruption.  Yesterday, the auto mechanic that repaired my car wanted feedback on the phone about the service and then asked if it was ok to post my review on a social website like Yelp.  Wow! That seems shady I think.  I am just looking for the best one that will be prepared for my case without going all around town talking to everyone.  Everyone's website says they deal with high conflict divorce.  So how do I choose? 

[ogopogodude]

Here has been my experience... . If you go to those websites such as rate your lawyer dotcom etc, ... . if your lawyer is NOT listed then he or she is a good one.

If your potential lawyer IS LISTED and there are comments, ... then that lawyer is typically a crook.

[sanemom]

I don't know if you would have time to do it, but here you can sit in the courtroom and watch other cases go on.  Part of the reason we selected our attorney is that it was clear that our judge had a lot of respect for our attorney, and I was impressed with how he handled the case he had--didn't seem shady. 

It's probably quicker to call around town though.  ;-)

[ForeverDad]

From my experience, OH Domestic court has small hearing rooms, sorry, no peanut gallery.  It's different over in Municipal court, huge rooms, plenty of benches.

[sanemom]

Guess it just depends on what state or county you are in then.  I can go in, sit on a bench, listen to the probate and will docket, judge sets the rest of the hearings for the day, and then could watch the rest of the hearings throughout the day.  Less people so more noticeable later in the day if you are watching. 

[justaboutdone]

From my experience, OH Domestic court has small hearing rooms, sorry, no peanut gallery.  It's different over in Municipal court, huge rooms, plenty of benches.

Thanks for the reply.  I was thinking about the same, going in and watching.  I feel that in my situation, I have to be the best prepared as possible going in or she will find a way to have the best of me.  Truthfully, she has absolutely zero on me and I have lots on her, so why am I still so worried about finding a very good lawyer?

[justaboutdone]

So what questions did you guys ask when meeting your lawyer?

[catnap]

Splitting: Protecting Yourself While Divorcing Someone with Borderline or Narcissistic Personality Disorder by Bill Eddy has a section in his book about what questions to ask a perspective attorney.

[rockymtn]

you can try martindale.com, which is peer reviewed by attorneys. It has its flaws though because there are attorneys there who have been practicing more than 10 years without a review. The other reviews sites, such as avvo, yelp, etc are crap. One disgruntled client can post numerous false reviews, or some bored out a work attorney can be posting numerous outstanding reviews.

The best way to find an attorney is word of mouth because if they are good, then someone you know has already used them for their divorce.  Also, you need to look at the situation as you are interviewing the attorney for a job position, if you don't like them for whatever reason, move on to the next one. Trust me, there are plenty of attorneys out there.

[rockymtn]

one last thought: you can also check out the attorney on the State Bar website to see if there have ever been disciplinary actions against the potential attorney.

[ForeverDad]

The best way to find an attorney is word of mouth because if they are good, then someone you know has already used them for their divorce.  Also, you need to look at the situation as you are interviewing the attorney for a job position, if you don't like them for whatever reason, move on to the next one. Trust me, there are plenty of attorneys out there.

Don't feel too timid to ask prospective attorneys, "If you were facing a high conflict divorce, which lawyer would be at the top of your list, who would you hire?"  Remember, lawyers know they're not going to get every case that walks in the door.  A reputable attorney will give an honest answer.  If you hear the same group of names, then you have your short list to interview. Look for real experience, proactive assertiveness, and strategy.  It's not okay if they say the minimal outcome.  It's okay if they say, "What usually happens is... . but I think we need to do... . to get the best outcome possible for you and your children."

If counselors, therapists or custody evaluators are needed, an experienced professional can recommend other experienced professionals:

One thing you might consider is, when talking with each attorney, ask for a recommendation to psychologists who can help with a case like this.  And when you talk with each psychologist, ask for the names of attorneys who they have worked with successfully.  What you want is a team that will work well together and be effective;  you might find two people who have worked well together in the past and can hit the ground running.