Divorce Lawyer
Unfortunately the chances of a married couple splitting up gets higher each year so hiring a divorce lawyer is the next crucial step; the following attributes are the most desirable:
*Proficient in cases like this *Have the correct bearing for this type of work *Be consistent in their work
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. All this will be waste if you do not feel you can trust them, so look for a person you feel comfortable with.
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. Preparation for both your divorce lawyer and yourself is important so when you contact them, make sure you know exactly what you intend to question them about.
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. As all costs relating to law and legal advice are costly, try not to visit them at the office unless absolutely necessary; this can be achieved by using the phone or mail.
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 always to stick to pertinent facts when speaking to your divorce lawyer, not general complaints about your spouse’s behavior as this is just a waste of your money if use them as a sounding board.
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. Tell them you want good advice and will rely on their experience, but that you expect to make decisions that concern the tone and strategy of the case. 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.
If money is an issue, it may be a preferable for you to only contact a lawyer for legal advice on a marital settlement but not representation. After you have organized all your facts and read about how the law works in your case, if you still have questions about the law or the likely outcome, write all your questions down and ask your lawyer. If you have employed a divorce lawyer to help you with a marital settlement, whether you have compiled it yourself or asked them too, it is easy to ask them for additional help if the case does not proceed according to plan.