Why is it important to have the right attorney?

No one tells you how important your attorney is going to end up being, but if your attorney misses a deadline, or picks a fight you didn’t want, you are the one who ends up with the problem. Alternatively, if your attorney settles too easily, you will feel like you’ve not been represented well.

Ideally, you want an attorney who understands your values and situation, and whose instincts are similar to yours: they avoid the fights that don’t matter to you, and they stick up for you on the issues that do. Budget is also a consideration, because some attorneys do too much and others far too little. Your attorney should be frank with you regarding their strategy, you should understand it at all times, and you should be consulted whenever there is a question of what should happen next that has not been decided.