Divorce Lawyer Secrets
I’d like to share with you some of the best divorce lawyer secrets that I know. As a divorce lawyer, I share tips and information with my clients throughout their divorces, and today I’m going to share a few of my secrets with you.
You want to know more about divorce lawyers and attorneys. You want to use your time wisely with your divorce attorney. You are worried about costs, expenses and fees in your divorce and how to keep them down. These divorce attorney tips and secrets are for you. These are a few of the things divorce attorneys wish you would do, probably ask you to do, and want you to do.
Schedule Your Calls With Your Divorce Lawyer
No doubt at some point in your divorce you will need to talk with your lawyer. Even if most of the time it seems like you talk with your lawyer’s support staff or the paralegal on the phone, there will come a time when you need to talk with your lawyer. In my office we generally schedule most of our calls with our clients, and here’s why. These days everybody has high demands at work – whether your work is at home or in an office. You don’t need to call your lawyer and wait a week for a call back. You don’t need to leave a voicemail, receive a voicemail from your lawyer and go back and forth for two weeks before your’e finally able to connect with your lawyer. When you have an issue or question that needs your divorce attorney’s review and thought, call the office and ask to schedule a call. Talk with the paralegal or staff and let them know what your thinking about and that you want to schedule a call with your lawyer about it – even if it is a short call. There are two advantages to scheduling a call. The first is that you know your lawyer will be available and at a time that you know can make the call. You won’t waste time with missing calls and voicemail back and forth. This will save you time and money. And, the second advantage is that your lawyer will have the time she needs to review your file and the question or discussion that you want to have with her. Again, saving you time and money.
Be Prepared
You are going to have to do the work in your divorce. This is tough. We know it is tough – no matter if you’re the husband or the wife in the divorce. It is tough when you never planned for divorce. It is tough when you want to stay married. But, here you are. Going through divorce means that you are going to have to look at your finances, your assets, your debts, your relationship with your kids, and many more things. Do the work and be prepared when you divorce attorney needs you to be. If your divorce attorney is forced to ask you for information many times, that is going to be more time and more expense for you.
Communicate
Communicate with your divorce attorney and her office. Remember that you hired the office for a purpose. Your divorce lawyer is attempting to complete work for you, advocate for you, and represent your interests in your divorce, at your request. Your attorney’s professional relationship with you is based on communication. Relationships, even professional, need communication. When your divorce lawyer emails you, respond to the emails. When your divorce lawyer’s office calls you, return the call. When you are requested to complete something, do it. If something changes in your case, send an update email or call your lawyer’s office to let your lawyer know. (This also saves you money, because your lawyer will be up to date.) It is ultimately more expensive to not communicate with your lawyer’s office than it is to just do it on the front end.
Get Support
You need more support than just your divorce attorney and her office. In the first months of your divorce you will experience many emotions. Find some other support: yoga, dance, flag football, friends, family, counselor. Even though it feels like your divorce lawyer is the only one who knows what you’re going through, resist the urge to rely on your lawyer for your divorce emotional support. Don’t call your divorce attorney when you’re upset and need to share that with someone. Remember, your lawyer is not a mental health professional. And, a mental health professional will usually be less expensive than your divorce attorney as well. Reach out and find other ways and people for support and save your lawyer’s hourly rate for when you need it. Remember we, your law firm, are working and guiding you through the divorce process.
Call the office to schedule your appointment with Jill O’Connell today. 940-497-5454