Going through a divorce is possibly one of the most stressful things you could ever experience. Not everybody divorces their partners, but it is estimated that around 50% of couples won’t stay together and will end up divorcing. In some cases, there are assets involved, such as a property or cars, and if there are children in the family, it can make the whole case more complicated and saddening. Getting the right divorce lawyer is highly important if you want everything to go as smoothly as is humanly possible, and here are some of the things you should bear in mind.
1. Be realistic about the divorce
If it’s a case of splitting the assets, you should be realistic from the start about how much you are going to get. If you had a pre-nuptial agreement when you got married, this will come into play and could affect your hopes for the outcome of the divorce. No matter how good the lawyer is that you hire for the divorce, you won’t be able to fight against legal documents that were drawn up years ago.
2. Don’t go for the first lawyer you see
Rather than going with a firm in your area that you’ve passed by several times, take some time out of your schedule to ‘shop around’ for a decent lawyer. You might have a couple of law firms close to where you live, but this doesn’t mean they are the most suitable candidates for the job. Look at companies such as www.streeterlaw.com.au that have several types of lawyers available for hire.
3. Meet up with them for a chat
Don’t be afraid to ask the lawyer if you can meet them to have a chat about what you’re going through and the type of things that you’re going to need. There is nothing wrong with this at all, and good lawyers will be happy to meet you either at your home, their office or a public meeting place in order to go through the case. You can tell them how things are proceeding so far, what is involved and any issues and concerns that you have. This is also an opportunity to get to know the lawyer and decide whether or not you feel you can work easily with them.
4. Remember that the lawyer is running a business
You need to feel like you can trust the lawyer you’re going to eventually hire for the case, since you’ll trust them with personal information and things could get tough and you may feel sometimes like you just want to talk. Although it’s not always easy to tell, you should stay away from any lawyers who are making you feel like they’re just trying to close a deal. If they’re making too many promises that you know are difficult to fulfill, this is a huge red flag. While they may be excellent at their job, nobody can really promise you that they will 100% win a divorce case.