8 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Divorce Lawyer (Part 1)

When the promise to “be happy until death do you part” is not fulfilled and couples decide to put an end to the marriage union, the adventure of hiring a divorce lawyer who makes the process more bearable begins. Getting divorced carries an emotional burden that can be made more or less light depending on the legal professional’s choice who handles your case. If you don’t select the right one, you run the risk of wasting a lot of time and money. Choosing the ideal lawyer for your situation can be challenging, but if you take the time to evaluate all the edges, you can be sure that the process will be much simpler. To make your divorce faster and less expensive and not turn into a never-ending emotional turmoil and financial battle, avoid making these mistakes when hiring a divorce attorney.

Mistake #1: Hire a Family Member to Be a Divorce Attorney

Do not involve immediate family members in this process, even if they are specialists in the subject. You’ll be far from solving the situation, which could bring more conflict between the parties. Furthermore, their position would not be completely objective and impartial. You can ask that relative to advise you and recommend some colleagues to take care of your case. In this way, you will have a range of options to study and minimize the chances of making a mistake when choosing your lawyer. You probably want to contact an old family friend because of the urgency of resolving the situation soon or the friendship bond, or simply because they’ll charge you less, but don’t fall for this. Evaluate several profiles well before making the final decision. The Lawyers you choose must be specialized in the field as this will reduce the number of errors caused due to ignorance of the legislation.

Mistake #2: Neglecting Professional Fee Rates 

That’s a point that must be made very clear before starting the attorney-represented relationship. In the first call, you should ask if the initial consultation has a price. Later, in the interview, you should ask the lawyer for his fee. Given that there are different types of fees such as hourly, flat, statutory, and advanced rates, the legal professional establishes the payment method and fixes it in a written document. Ask which services are included in that amount and which are not. It is also important to clarify if the fixed price includes photocopies, prints, transfers, meals, or court expenses. If you decide to use the hourly rate, ask about how many hours it will take to work on your case during the day, week, or month. This is to avoid exceeding your budget where you can find yourself having no money to pay the specialist after they are done with your case.

Mistake #3: Underestimating the Importance of This Legal Matter 

Sometimes, ex-partners decide to put the conflict aside and establish agreements regarding the children’s property and custody. This is positive in separations since major battles are avoided. However, that is not enough. Often, these deals are breached by one of the parties, or simply, when they are put into practice, they do not obtain the expected result. And that’s when time is wasted because you have to start from scratch. Hence the importance of having legal advice. Don’t underestimate the presence of a good attorney, especially if it is a divorce involving children. When we refer to the laws, the smartest thing is that you have a legal professional who takes the case’s reins, exposes the situation to you from a specialized point of view and avoids improvisations that can be very expensive.

Mistake #4: Having Unrealistic Expectations 

Your divorce lawyer does not have superpowers! So, make sure to consider what the tasks and their limits are. In short, be realistic. To avoid living from the illusion, you must talk openly with the specialist, expose your expectations and wishes of what you want to obtain and how you hope the end of the case will be. Based on this, he will be the one to tell you what you should fight for, what things you can get and what you definitely will not get. Consult your doubts, and thus you will avoid disappointment at the end of the process. Remember that the lawyer will handle the entire legal process to dissolve your assets and resolve child custody issues in divorce. Any situation that involves another area is not the task of the legal profession.

Check out the second part of this blog for the complete list of mistakes to avoid!