The toughest part of divorce usually comes at the beginning: understanding how to negotiate the legal and financial aspects of the process.  About 60 percent of people who have been divorced said they had the most difficulty finding information that could help, according to a poll conducted by according to poll results from GFK Roper, an independent research agency. 

The poll, which was commissioned by Divorce360.com, showed that 19 percent of the male respondents said custody was the most difficult part of the process for them. However, 18 percent of the women who responded said that finding an attorney was the greatest challenge. Both men and women agreed that finding easy-to-understand legal advice was the next toughest part of their divorces. Ten percent of the respondents felt that way. They also reported that getting advice on financial issues and finding people who had gone through similar experiences were difficult as well.           
  
Getting information doesn’t have to be so confusing, according to some experts. The key is to taking the process step-by-step and do your research along the way.            

Finding an attorney should be the first step because he or she can provide a road map for the process, said Lynne Strober, a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. She has served as chair of the Matrimonial Certification Committee for nine years.             

“Usually if you hire someone who knows they are doing, they can do a lot of the legwork for you,” said Strober, who has been practicing family law for 30 years. Strober is currently with Mandelbaum Salsburg Gold Lazris and Discenza P.C. in New Jersey.


FINDING THE RIGHT ATTORNEY

Strober said the first place to look would be with the list of fellows at the AAML because each attorney on the list has been certified. Each state’s bar association should also have a list of family law attorneys. With the list in hand, potential clients can then research the attorneys on the Internet or by word of mouth, Strober said.               

Finding the right attorney can become a shelter in the storm of divorce. She said that many of her clients arrive at her office feeling insecure because of the upset f facing the end of a marriage. That emotional upheaval makes it harder to focus on researching and understanding the legal process.