As a parent, you're likely worried about how your children will be affected by your divorce. Luckily, you can make the divorce easier on your kids by choosing the right divorce attorney to work with – here are a few things to consider when consulting with prospective lawyers during your search:
Meeting Times and Places
One of the most important things to consider is the time and place your prospective divorce attorney will want to meet throughout your court case. With children at home, it's important to make sure that you choose a lawyer that doesn't require in-home meetings and is willing to meet when you have the free time so your little ones don't have to be part of any of it. Make sure that your attorney can meet you at their office after you get off work or on the weekends when you aren't working or with your kids. If your only option is to meet the lawyer at your home due to time constraints or schedule conflicts, it's a good idea to keep looking until you find a more flexible legal representative.
Phone Calls and Paperwork
It is also important to think about how phone calls and paperwork will be handled by the lawyer you decide to hire for representation. If your lawyer or their assistant calls your home and one of your kids answer, how will the situation be handled? You need to make sure that the attorney you choose to represent you won't leave messages with your kids or have people drop paperwork off at your house unexpectedly. Your lawyer should make calls during the times you agree to beforehand, or simply call back if they can't reach you when calling you at home. Paperwork should be available for pickup whenever you find it convenient, and should never be delivered to your home without your explicit request.
Mediation Options
Mediation offers you a great opportunity to work specific problems out with your soon to be ex-spouse and can eliminate the need for in-court testimonies by your kids and even yourself. So, make sure that the divorce attorney you decide to hire is willing to participate in mediation meetings with you, your spouse, and their attorney at some point during your divorce proceedings. You may even be able to avoid all court proceedings if your spouse is as willing as you are to attend mediation meetings.
These basic considerations should help you determine which prospective divorce attorney is right for your specific needs, and will meet your expectations when all is said and done. For more information, talk to a professional like Lynn Jackson Shultz & Lebrun PC.
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