Get Expert Advice From Your Divorce Attorney

Unfortunately the chances of a married couple splitting up gets higher each year so when you hire a divorce lawyer you will need to know they are competent in this field. Ideally a divorce attorney should be spending half their time dealing with divorce cases and preferably one who is a good mediator. They must be someone you can trust and work with comfortably; someone who has your confidence.

Attorneys that tend to follow the mediation route are good at giving settlement advice but you may need an attorney who is more familiar with courtroom settlements.
The most important thing is to be very well prepared whenever you contact your divorce lawyer so know your facts, what you want to ask about and exactly what you want the lawyer to explain or do for you.

Whether you intend to see them or speak on the phone, write everything down as this is the most efficient way to utilize your legal representative and keep a record of dates and times you spoke with them. Keep a record of all correspondence and conversations and try where possible to have conversations on the phone which will reduce the amount of time required to see them in person.

Remember you divorce attorney is there for their expertise in the field and not to act as a counselor, you should hopefully be able to use people close to you for that. The behavior of your spouse, unless pertinent to the divorce, is of no concern to your divorce lawyer and will only distract them from the task at hand.

Let your lawyer know from the start that you will be in charge of the case and they are there for legal advice and not as someone to lean on when things start getting rough. 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. You must also let them know that you expect copies of all correspondence to be sent to you for you own records and if you contact them by phone, you expect a reply within one working day.

Don't think that you have to enter into proceedings armed with a lawyer in tow as they aren’t always necessary although you may wish to speak to one just for advice on a marital settlement for example. In these circumstances you may only need to write down any issues you are unsure about and speak to your lawyer regarding those, and possible outcomes. There is no reason your divorce lawyer cannot be used purely in a consultancy role to help draw up a marital settlement and if need be can step in if things do not go according to plan.