Spring is a time for fresh starts. Sometimes, that includes a divorce. Unfortunately, starting a divorce can feel like going through a foreign country without a map. A good attorney can guide you through your divorce, like a good GPS system.
If you are considering divorce, try to talk with more than one attorney before you hire someone to make sure that you hire one this is a good fit for you. During your first meeting with them, ask questions and take notes because you won’t remember everything that you talk about. The topics and the language will all be new to you. Ask questions to try to get all of the information that you can, so that you are able to make the best choices you can as you work through your divorce in areas like parenting schedules, child support, spousal support, property division and what happens to debts.
Once you have decided on a lawyer, be sure to give your lawyer your goals in the divorce, too. Tell your lawyer if it is important to have a good working relationship with your ex-spouse, if you like to Skype or FaceTime with your kids and want to continue to do so, if you want to plan things for you kids with your ex-spouse and so on. Your lawyer may have some good ideas about how to incorporate those specific things into your divorce.
Finally, make sure that you and your attorney are headed in the same direction. If your goals change or you have information that may change things in the divorce, let your lawyer know. If your lawyer is talking about things that you don’t understand, ask her about it. I like to ask my clients to tell me if I start using too much ‘legalese’. I do that because I like to explain things well when I’m talking with my clients and I want to know if I am using ‘legalese’ so that I can do a better job of explaining things in ways that they more easily understand.
Like a GPS system, your lawyer will work best with you when he or she knows what you want to accomplish (where you want to go), how you want to do it (highways or back roads) and what is most important to you to you in the journey (areas of interest). When you and your lawyer are clear what direction you are headed, your journey can be improved. We can help you navigate your divorce, call us at 940-497-5454 to set an appointment.
Jill O’Connell