Introduction
Selecting a divorce attorney can either make a difficult time less stressful or it can make it worse. There are two types of divorces – equitable or contentious. Divorces that are equitable, are when most disputes can be resolved with minimal court intervention. Then there are contentious divorces, where any decision necessitates the intervention of the Court. In either case you may want to consider hiring an attorney. This article will outline the benefits of hiring an attorney and why it can be useful to have one on retainer even in the simplest and least contentious divorce.
Key takeaways:
- Finding a good divorce attorney can make a stressful situation bearable, make sure to find someone who is willing to have a free consultation.
- Use a free consultation to see if the attorney is professional, knowledgeable, and able to help you work towards your goals.
- Compton and Smith, PA has attorneys willing to meet with you and figure out exactly how to help you in achieving your lifetime goals in divorce, schedule a free consultation with us at any time.
When Should I Hire a Divorce Attorney?
A divorce attorney should be retained at the first moment you suspect you or your spouse may be seriously considering divorce. This does not mean you immediately have to file for divorce. But having one on retainer acts like owning a fire extinguisher, having one on hand can prevent severe damage. No one wants a fire, but everyone plans for it where there are sparks involved.
The most common mistake we see is that individuals do not get an attorney in the event that there may be red flags already flying. This doesn’t mean you should stop trying to fix your marriage, it just acts as a preparatory measure.
If you are worried and in the steps of trying to fix your marriage, schedule a free consultation with us. We can go over your worst and best case scenario if your marriage becomes irreconcilable. You will feel more prepared in the event you head to divorce proceedings, and this may help you focus on either fixing your marriage, or finally give you the path to getting out of a terrible situation. If anything, a little common sense from one of our attorneys can give you clear expectations especially when we have extensive experience in divorce court.
Divorce is never an easy process and usually tends to be one of the most difficult moments in people’s lives. If there are children involved the ramifications of divorce will follow you the rest of your life. Please call us and get a free consultation. We can discuss various options you have moving forward and help you find some peace of mind in a tumultuous time.
What makes a good divorce attorney?
Any good divorce attorney will recommend trying to work things out with your spouse first before pursuing divorce. If there are children involved this can oftentimes be one of the best options. Divorce remains a complex issue, and individuals seek out or think about divorce for a variety of reasons.
Sometimes it may be the only thing to do to get out of a terrible situation. No matter what your unique circumstances are, we are here to help you. We want to provide you some understanding of the journey ahead and help you secure your future no matter the outcome. Call us anytime for a free consultation.
How do I Select a Divorce Attorney?
Divorce attorneys will typically meet with you for a free initial consultation. This initial visit is where you can evaluate their personality, knowledge and law firm. Fortunately, it is a bit different than scheduling your first visit with a doctor, as it will be free and you can make decisions about choosing our firm before having to pay for our services.
Then, similar to meeting with a doctor about a specific surgery or problem, you can get “second opinions” and meet with other attorneys. We hope you take the time to meet with us and our legal team, as we will do our best to help you in your time of need. It is what we do and we are happy to help you.
In our free consultation we will discuss legal options you can take, make plans for your next step and talk about worst and best case scenarios. We will take the time to make sure that you feel heard, you understand what you’re facing, and feel like there is a path out of whatever trouble you find yourself in.
How Much Does it Cost to Have a Divorce Attorney?
Divorce fees can vary from person to person and as part of your initial consultation we can look into what you can expect to pay. We can give you a general idea. A divorce attorney will require a retainer to pay for things when they get started. Think of this as pre-paying for your legal expenses and securing our services.
We will use this to go towards your case and it will cover our hourly fee and various court fees. The hourly fees will vary depending on the attorney and practice. When you meet with us to discuss your circumstances we will go over in detail what that looks like for your case. Court fees are going to be the same regardless of which lawyer you choose.
The cost of a divorce can swell with the use of outside experts such as forensic accountants or child psychologists. Depending on the needs of your divorce we can decide whether or not using experts will be beneficial for you. Keep in mind every time you hire an expert you run the risk that your ex will hire a counter expert in a constantly escalating battle. As in everything this can largely be give and take. Experts are not always needed, but certain cases may necessitate them.
Do I Need a Divorce Attorney in a Simple Divorce?
If the term divorce is one that has been on your mind, it is never a bad idea to schedule a free consultation with an attorney to see what they can do for you. Generally, it is a good idea to have a lawyer ready in case things go south. If you find yourself in a divorce where agreements can still be made outside of a Courtroom, count yourself very lucky. In these situations your divorce attorney serves a smaller role. Below is a list of roles an Attorney will provide throughout a simple divorce to make your life easier.
- Paperwork Manager Going through court means lots of paperwork and sometimes the smallest errors mean huge setbacks. Our skilled legal team and attorneys are experts in making sure you have the right documents and that the information within is detailed properly. Divorce is difficult enough and having to deal with a mountain of paperwork makes it that much worse. We can help ease this burden for you.
- Know what is Negotiable You may have friends that have gone through divorce and they are going to offer plenty of advice. The big problem is that we all lead different lives and this means people can have very different divorces. Not only are there different situations, but different states have different laws and various judges can have an effect on your courtroom proceedings. Some judges may regularly grant alimony where others rarely consider it. It is invaluable to have someone who is familiar with the judges and laws of your state and county. That way we can help you understand where you should focus your limited time and resources. There is no point in gathering evidence to support the fact that you are owed alimony if the Judge who will rule on your case never grants it.
- Knowing the Language Divorce attorneys speak a different language than most people do. Just think how difficult it can be to talk about cars, if you know absolutely nothing about cars. Generally most people do not know legal jargon. This makes courtroom proceedings frustrating and can make your divorce even more difficult. The structure of the U.S. Court system is designed to move to the heart of the problem quickly and resolve things fast. We know the language of the courts and the jargon necessary to make your divorce proceedings faster and less frustrating.
- An Experienced Mentor Our attorneys have experience in divorce court and have dealt with lots of cases before. They more easily spot patterns and potential future problems as a result of their experience. They seem to have the amazing ability to predict the future because they’ve been down this road over and over again, even thousands of times. Our attorneys can regularly predict how a divorce will unfold – keeping you from being constantly surprised. This will help you prepare for any uncertainty or anxiety you may be harboring.
- An Insurance Policy If you hire a divorce attorney and everything goes smoothly it’s easy to say you wasted your money. Having an attorney is much like having car insurance. You do not need your car insurance every day, but when it gets bad you need insurance fast. Your divorce may start out smooth and it could change at the drop of the hat. Sometimes people who never expect it find themselves facing child abuse charges, and when they did not have an attorney already, these charges become even harder to deal with. It will be in these moments that you are glad that you have had us as an attorney and you did what we told you to do. Remember, we can always do an initial consultation to see what you may be facing, at no charge.
- An Advocate A divorce attorney is paid to represent you, and there is a lot of unspoken communication in a courtroom. If you are following the direction of a good attorney the Judge recognizes it and this can help your case. You may feel like your Attorney is holding you back at times but this can oftentimes be for your own good. Like we said earlier, we have been down this road before, and we know what comes after the blind turns and what may be hiding right around the corner. By showing the Judge you can follow the sound advice of an attorney you are demonstrating that you can also follow his/her sound advice.
Conclusion:
While you may not feel the need to have an attorney, it is always good to be prepared. The more prepared you are, the better you will be able to face the hard challenges down the road. You may not have a difficult divorce or you may be fighting for your very future. In any case we are here to help you. Please give Compton and Smith, PA a call to schedule a free consultation.
