3 Ways to Simplify Your Divorce
Learn – Simplify Your Divorce
When you have decided that divorce is the solution to your situation it is time to begin working. It is time to find out as much information about your marital estate, your separate estate if you have one, any and all debts, your health insurance, your retirement benefits, your monthly expenses (now and planning for the future) and your possible options as you can. Do your legwork now. You will have to do it anyway. Your lawyer will need all of that information. It is a huge step towards simplifying your divorce if you have all of that information ready when you meet with your lawyer. And, that can also save you all of those fees when your lawyer and her staff don’t have to ask you for anything.
Seek – Simplify Your Divorce
Seek out experienced family law attorneys in the county that your case will be filed. Find an experienced divorce lawyer. Do your research online. Talk with people that you know have gone through divorce and listen to their stories. It is like reading travel books before you go on a trip – you’ve never been there before and it will give you an idea about what to look for while you’re there. You can find out what you want to look for in a law office. Do you want to have personalized attention? Do you want to have the office close to you? Or do you want your family lawyer’s office to be a little bit out of the way so you don’t have to drive by it every day? Do you want a divorce lawyer’s office that takes calls all day or closes for lunch?
Call at least three divorce and family law offices before you make any decisions about who you want to hire. Not all law offices operate the same. And, if you’ve ready many of my posts, you have seen this before. I believe it and encourage it.
Goals – Simplify Your Divorce
Set some goals before you meet with any family lawyer at all. Work through what is important to you in your divorce or family law case. If you have kids and it is important to you to have a good working, business type relationship with the other parent at the end of your divorce, set that as a primary goal and let your divorce lawyer know that. If you have a divorce where finances are a focus and it is critical that your child support amount be accurate based on the current situation, let your family law attorney know at the beginning of your case. Your goals should be a consideration for your lawyer throughout the case. They shouldn’t be the only thing your lawyer considers, but they should make a difference. If a lawyer you are considering isn’t concerned about your goals – that should be a red flag for you.
These 3 tips can help you simplify your divorce before your start. But, even if you are already in the middle, give them a try and see if they help. As always, find an experienced divorce lawyer to answer your questions about your case.
By: Jill O’Connell, 940-497-5454