A divorce attorney is often very helpful to individuals seeking a divorce. The divorce process starts when one or both partners to file a legal petition in a local court. If you’re considering a divorce, it’s important to hire a divorce attorney. (Some people refer to them as family law attorneys.) If you do decide to go this route, there are a few things you should know.
Divorce attorneys can assist their clients in many ways. If you’ve already had a child, most will take care of that aspect of the settlement. They will also advise their clients on how to prepare for the court proceedings. For example, they will advise their clients not to retain certain witnesses and to avoid cross-examinations. As well, divorce attorneys will advise their clients not to use certain tactics during the divorce process, like making accusations, hiding assets and compromising the privacy of the couple.
In the case of no children, custody will be determined by the court. Once again, if you have children, your spouse may wish to seek sole custody or joint custody. Again, if you do choose to sole custody, you’ll likely need to have court appearances and provide more evidence supporting your position. Joint custody is pretty easy to achieve with the right person; in this case, you’ll need to provide the court with a couple of years worth of records of income and expenses, along with copies of tax returns for each of you. Once you’re settled on a schedule, you and your spouse should have an open and honest discussion about the custody arrangement and possible outcomes.
During a divorce process, there are going to be some issues that arise between you and your spouse. These could include child custody (if any), spousal support (alimony), division of assets and property, and other issues. If you and your spouse can’t agree on how to resolve these issues, you’ll need to have an attorney review the case. This can make the entire divorce process much easier to deal with, both for you and your spouse.
If you’ve already hired a divorce attorney, he or she should be able to help draft an uncontested financial agreement. In fact, many lawyers actually offer this service. Some of them also offer other types of legal services, such as drafting contracts, reviewing litigation and preparing all of the papers needed for a trial. This type of help can be critical if you and your spouse don’t reach an agreement on what the terms of your divorce are going to be. Your lawyer will also be familiar with the court systems in your area and know how they’ll rule on the matter.
Divorce attorneys can help you through every step of the divorce process and can get things settled quickly if need be. Don’t forget to ask about fees and what costs might be involved with using their services. It’s also a good idea to discuss the costs of hiring a lawyer with your lawyer before you agree to retain them.
An attorney can be your best friend or your worst enemy during the process of a divorce. You want to get the best representation possible. You may want to consult with friends or family members who have already gone through the process so that you can see how they handled it.
