There may come a point in your marriage when a breakup is inevitable and if that happens a good divorce lawyer will be the first item on a list of things to do; ensure that your lawyer has at least the following attributes and abilities: *Well versed in divorce law *Have the right attitude for this work *A conscientious person  The best attorney to employ is one who, for at least half their time, is dealing with divorce cases and is fully skilled in  mediation techniques . However, none of this will be any good without your complete trust in their abilities.Those attorneys who prefer mediation will look to solve problems by talking and not through the conflict based approach many attorneys wish to provide. To save time when you contact your divorce lawyer, keep conversations brief and to the point, which can be achieved by preparing what you need from them in advance.Plan each conversation by making an agenda and write down the things you want to talk about; take notes on the content of the conversation and the amount of time spent on phone calls. Keep a record of all correspondence and conversations and try where possible to have conversations on the phone which will reduce the amount of time required to see them in person.An attorney does not come cheap so use them only for the purpose you hired them for, legal advice, they are not there as an emotional problem solver, there are other professionals who specialize in that area. Try not to involve you divorce lawyer with any tales of bickering that you and your ex-partner are involved in that are not directly pertinent to the divorce.Let your lawyer know from the start that you will be in charge of the case and they are there for legal advice and not as someone to lean on when things start getting rough. It is important they know any decisions regarding the divorce are yours to make and they are there for their knowledge and experience in providing legal recommendations. Let them know that copies of any correspondence relating to the case will need to be sent to you along with any other information and if you contact them, to reply as quickly as possible.Instead of hiring a lawyer, it may be far more cost-effective to use the lawyer just for information or advice on specific subjects like a marital settlement because that may be all the legal help you will need. In these circumstances you may only need to write down any issues you are unsure about and speak to your lawyer regarding those, and possible outcomes. It is not uncommon for people to draw up their own marital settlements with the help of a divorce lawyer who is familiar with the case.