When choosing a divorce lawyer or law group, it is important to find one that knows about divorce law as a specialty and who you can also connect with, in that they have a thorough understanding of what you are going through and how the divorce is affecting you and your family. This will provide you with assurance that they are working one hundred percent in your best interest and that the court case will therefore go in your favor. The settlement you are both fighting for, after all, needs to support you financially for the period beyond married life. The custody of any children will need to be so that they remain where they are happiest. A good divorce lawyer will not only fight for all these things but be adept in winning them to their client’s advantage as suggested in this lawyer spotlight journal.
Specialization
When choosing a lawyer for a matter of divorce, it is essential that you seek a lawyer who specializes in divorce as this will improve your chance of success. As laws are based on the precedent of past cases, so are divorce situations. Each party will be fighting for the same thing. Which is, to keep as much of the lifestyle financially that they previously had. In some cases, both parties will want full access to the children. It is not always the case that the mother is given access. A divorce lawyer will look at ways to discredit one part or another, as this can often be the way to achieve something that is not considered the norm.
Legal Knowledge
It is important to choose a lawyer who has had plenty of courtroom experience because then they know how a case is likely to turn out. This then allows for advance warning in turning a case around to the advantage of their represented client. It is the equivalent of looking ahead in traffic and taking the decision early. With regards to costs, a renowned or experienced lawyer will, of course, cost more money to hire, but can in the end be worth it when a greater settlement is reached in the favor of their client. In a sense, you are investing in a divorce lawyer, speculating to accumulate. Credentials are a good measure of likely success. Legal knowledge is not just about the qualifications a lawyer possesses but how many times a divorce lawyer has presented a client during their career. As with anything, people get better at things and know when and what to say in certain situations. Words can indeed sway a case, as can evidence of wrongdoing on either side. There needs to be some reason not to just give equal settlement. Financial contributions into a household during a marriage may have an impact on the final settlement, but if a spouse was looking after the family then they have had little or no opportunity to earn, so that will need to be considered.
Empathy
Empathy always makes a situation seem better, and therefore makes the divorce process seem easier. To know that someone else outside of your close family understands your situation is comforting to know. Specially trained divorce lawyers are good communicators and have the right words for their clients and the court system. You will be able to consider them a friend and ally throughout the whole process of divorce, whether it be an amicable one or not. Those that are not, require a divorce lawyer even more, as injunctions may also need to be taken out in certain circumstances. Divorce lawyers can handle that, too, and protect you from an irate partner who is intent on making the whole divorce process as unpleasant as possible.
So, a good divorce lawyer should be specialized, experienced in the law in general, and empathetic.
45 years ago (what????) I got divorced. It was simple then with no kids or property. Good advice.
Great tips for the unpleasant process of divorce. Thankfully, though, our divorce was mutual, with no minor children and no assets to speak of. We didn’t even have to go to court. But I agree with all you say for those who have a more complicated situation.