Steve
C
The characteristics of a divorce lawyer are important
to consider when seeking legal representation. Whether your divorce
is highly contested or if you are close to settling all or most
of the major issues pertaining to your divorce such as child custody
and visitation, division of property, and support, the following
characteristics of a prospective divorce lawyer should be considered.
(1) Proactive
(2) Willingness to negotiate
(3) Assertive
(4) Approachable
(5) Problem solver
Proactive
Proactive divorce lawyers often keep the opposing
party on the defensive. Rather than reacting to the opposing counsels
requests, a proactive attorney will have a strategy and often
initiate action requiring the other party to respond or react.
When done effectively, the opposing party may find themselves
responding and reacting with little or no opportunity to go on
the offensive.
Willingness to negotiate
Cases in which the parties are close to settling
all or some of their divorce issues can benefit from divorce lawyers
that are willing to help negotiate settlements out-of-court. Additionally,
much time, money, and stress associated with contested divorce
cases can be drastically reduced. However, in highly contested
divorces, negotiating settlements may not be an option and a good
trial lawyer may be more valuable.
Assertive
An assertive divorce lawyer is typically confident,
but not arrogant, and knows when it is ok to be assertive and
when it is not. Additionally, such an attorney will often demonstrate
confidence in the courtroom through his/her experience and may
remain unemotional throughout your divorce proceedings. The attorney’s
communication with the opposing counsel will typically be amicable,
but when under attack, he/she will not be afraid to assert his/her
client’s position.
Approachable
Approachable attorneys are easy to talk to and
easy to get in contact with. When you request to speak with them
they will make themselves available and return your call in a
timely manner. However, an approachable attorney is not an attorney
that will engage in meaningless conversations that have no relevance
to your case. Typically, an approachable attorney will demonstrate
good listening skills in a conversation and will politely inform
you if they believe you are getting off the subject to make the
best use of his/her time.
Problem solver
An attorney that demonstrates good problem solving
skills will have a strategy for your case. Such attorneys are
often willing to negotiate settlements when it makes sense, but
are fully prepared for trial if matters cannot be settled out-of-court.
If you plan to retain a divorce lawyer to help
you with your divorce, taking into consideration the above 5 traits
of a prospective attorney before you hire him/her might save you
a surprising amount of time, money, and stress during your divorce
proceedings.
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