This blog post will offer some advice for people considering a divorce. Family lawyers are experts on the topic of family law, and can offer some practical, hands on advice for people beginning the process. Be sure to do a lot of research and ask lots of questions when you are starting the process. We hope this blog post will help inform you as a consumer about the process and give you some practical advice. For professional representation, be sure to turn to the Law Office of John Waters, who can help you through this difficult process.
- The first piece of advice a family lawyer will offer you is that you should consider other alternatives besides going to court and having a divorce trial. There are dozens of reasons for this, and we won’t have time today to cover them all. The primary reason is that court is very expensive and time consuming. You may end up spending all your assets just trying to figure out who gets what. Additionally it is a very stressful process for everyone involved, including you and your children. If you choose not to go to court, there are a few different options you can work with. The first is to use the mediation method. In the mediation method of divorce, you hire a neutral third party negotiator, known as a mediator, to help you negotiate between the two parties involved. Basically you will sit down with your attorney, your spouse and their attorney, and this third party mediator. The mediator serves to offer an unbiased opinion and help facilitate the process. This is one of the preferred methods of divorce because it usually ends up being the least expensive option. It is also much less stressful than other options available to you. Another type of court free divorce is the collaborative divorce method. In the collaborative divorce method, you will hire a collaborative attorney and so will your spouse. Usually, in a collaborative divorce, a team is assembled to help facilitate the process. This may include, but is not limited to, a mental health professional who can make recommendations on child custody and related issues and an accountant or other type of financial specialist who can make recommendations regarding asset division and related issues. Using this teamwork methodology, both parties can typically reach and amiable solution that works for everyone involved. These two types of court free divorces are beneficial because they allow you to make decisions on your own. As soon as you head to trial, you are at the mercy of the judge. Their decisions will be final, and you may not get as much say as you would like. This is especially advantageous when it comes to child custody.
- The second piece of advice a custody lawyer will offer you is that you should be honest with your attorney, and also with your former spouse. If you choose to conceal some fact or evidence from your attorney, chances are that it will come out either in negotiations or court proceedings. Your attorney will be better equipped to handle the situation if they are aware of everything up front.