Oct 28 2008
Divorce Lawyers: Who’s the Right One for You?
If you are looking for a divorce lawyer you should ensure he or she has the right attitude for the task, that they are reliable and most importantly an expert in the area. As far as experience is concerned, an attorney should be able to show that at least half of their work involves divorce cases and have good negotiation skills as well. They will need to be someone in whom you can place your trust and feel comfortable working with so if these criteria cannot be met then you will need to look elsewhere.
Mediation minded attorneys are more likely to give you problem solving advice, whereas traditional attorneys tend to be more oriented to conflict and their advice tends to be adversarial. Although there will be tasks you need to perform on your own, if you need to speak to your divorce lawyer, write down exactly what help you want from them.
Costs are always an issue so write down everything you want to ask and in a logical order always making sure there is an accurate record of times dates and the duration of conversations. Try to keep actual meetings to a minimum and where points have to be clarified, use the phone or send a letter.
Your divorce attorney is just a resource for legal matters so do not try to get them personally involved as that is not their function; if you need emotional support there are others who can help with this. When you talk to a divorce lawyer, stick to the facts and don’t complain about things your spouse did unless you actually want your lawyer to do something about.
Being in control of your own case and your own life is the single best thing you can do, so it is essential that you have a lawyer who can work on that basis. Your legal representative must be told up front that while his or her advice is essential, all decisions regarding the divorce will be made by you. 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.
Not all cases need a courtroom to be decided upon so you could employ a lawyer just to help you with a marital settlement, legal information or advice. This means that a little research is necessary on your part but once you have completed this, it is much easier to contact a lawyer to ask them specific questions and how they see your case concluding. Marital settlements are something that can be arranged by the individuals involved and then have them checked by a divorce lawyer; then if things don’t work out, the lawyer can always be hired to make the divorce settlement.
Obviously, the most economical type of marrital separation is the option of an uncontested online divorce - if you can manage that successfully together with your ex-partner-to-be, it’s very likely you can save thousands of dollars in divorce lawyer fees.
