Divorce is never easy, but divorce attorneys are not brought into the divorce process to make it harder. If you hire a good divorce attorney, they can actually help make the process easier for you, your spouse, and your children.
Finding the Right Attorney
When you start talking to attorneys about your case, you need to find one that is in line with your desires for the process. If you want to go through the process without making it harder for your spouse and kids, you need to let the attorney know that. Some cases require an aggressive lawyer, but that may not be the case in your situation.
Take the time to sit down with several attorneys so that you are sure you find the right one for you. Most attorneys will discuss the case with you for free, and then you can both decide if you feel working together is a good fit or not.
Preparing the Case
Your divorce attorney will walk you through the entire divorce process and do all the paperwork involved in the case. They will help you work out a custody or visitation plan if you need to, and they can help set up alimony and support payments to your spouse.
Keep in mind that some of what is common practice may not seem right to you, but if you want to change something like paying additional support or making some specific custody arrangements, talk to your lawyer so they can set things up that way. Many times, the fighting that happens in a divorce can be avoided if you work together to settle things and then go to the lawyer for the formal divorce.
Protecting Your Interests
If you are not in agreement with your spouse about some things that are important to you, let your attorney know. They will meet with your spouse's attorney and brings the points up and see if your spouse will work with you to settle the items.
If you can not agree on some terms, the attorneys will let the judge know when you go to court for the divorce hearing. The judge will often listen to what you and your spouse have to say, then rule on the item, settling it for you.
Your attorney should work hard to try and work all the details out and file any motions well before you go to court. Sometimes there are things that only the judge can settle, but it is in the best interests of everyone involved to try and work it out before that.
What do family lawyers really do? Most people know that they help clients in divorce proceedings, but this is only a small piece of their job. These attorneys also help draft custody arrangements, create adoption contracts, formulate prenuptial agreements, and designate alternative guardianship of kids in situations of abuse. As you can probably guess, working as a family lawyer requires tact, compassion, and an endless drive to do good. We are passionate about the work that these attorneys do, which is why we chose to write about that work on this blog. Our hope is that in reading these articles, you will also develop an improved understanding of family law.