Getting a divorce is not a fun process. You probably feel very stressed and worried and have a lot of questions as well that need to be answered. If you have never been through the process of securing a legal professional to help you with an issue, you might feel even more at sea as you try to figure out what to do to get a divorce lawyer to work on your case.
A divorce lawyer in St. Louis needs to have the right experience as well as the right kind of demeanor to work well with your specific needs as you go through this tough time in your life. Knowing what to look for and what to do when you realize that you want to get a divorce can help to reduce stress and worry as you end your marriage.
What to do if You Think You Need to Secure a Divorce Lawyer
1. Talk to a Few Lawyers in Your Area
There are usually more than a few options in your area for legal support as you get your divorce. It can be overwhelming to figure out which legal team to work with. You will want to chat with a few lawyers in your area before you select someone to represent you as you get divorced. Be sure to ask about things like payment and timelines for cases as you shop around.
There are also usually family law court services that are offered by local volunteer legal staff if you cannot afford to hire an attorney for your case. Not every courthouse offers this service, however, so you will need to look into this before you assume that you can use this option to save money.
At the end of the day, the legal team that you work with needs to understand your needs and communicate effectively with you. You will be working together for a few months at least and this is usually a very tough time in people’s lives. You need to be sure that you are paired up with a lawyer who can serve your needs with ease.
2. Bring Documentation to Your Meeting
One of the best ways to ensure that you and any lawyer are going to be a good fit is to bring documentation with you to ask about the specifics of your case. Your legal team needs to be able to work hard on your side to ensure that you are able to get the best divorce settlement possible for your situation. If you don’t have the right documentation in front of you, the lawyer you are speaking with might have to speculate, which can lead to miscommunication and long-term problems between you and your legal team.
3. Ask About Payment
Some legal teams will require a deposit upfront before they can start working on your case. You will need to find out what the payment structure is for the lawyer that you are thinking of selecting for your case. Just assuming that the lawyer will work through your case and take payment out of any settlement that you receive is not a wise choice. Most lawyers will require that you provide a fund of money in the form of a retainer to ensure that they can afford to gather materials for your case, even if your divorce is uncontested.
4. Ask Questions About Parenting Time and Child Support
If you have kids, you need to inquire about the expected outcome for parenting plans and child support as a result of the divorce cases that they have worked on in the past. Most divorces will include the default 50/50 parenting plan, but if you have specific requests that you want to have fulfilled, you should inquire about these before you secure a lawyer to work on your side as you get divorced.
You will need your legal team to understand your goals with regard to caring for your kids, especially if you think that your ex needs to be prevented from having parenting time and access to the children.
5. Ask About Finances and Assets
You might own a business with your ex, or maybe you have lots of assets tied up in property that you both own. These kinds of items can make the process of getting divorced much more complex and time-consuming, as well as confusing. This is more common in a contested divorce, so you will also want to ensure that the legal team that you are thinking of securing has experience with working in a courtroom environment.
In most cases, businesses and assets are hard to divide up fairly, so you want to be sure that your legal team is very experienced on this front if this is a big concern of yours. Asking lots of questions about this aspect of the divorce can save you disappointment later when you find out that your lawyer isn’t familiar with this part of the divorce process in the way that you had hoped.
Divorce Can be Tough but a Good Lawyer Can Make it Much Easier
If you are worried about the details of your divorce, you need to be sure that you understand the process of securing legal support for this process. Asking the right questions when you speak with lawyers who you are considering working with can help you to figure out which legal team is the right one for your needs.
Your partnership with your lawyer is the only protection that you have from having to give up too much to your former spouse. Most divorces are in some way contested, and disagreement can lead to one party giving up too much during the divorce. A skilled lawyer will work hard to secure a favorable outcome for your case and to meet your stated needs as they work through the divorce process on your side.
Don’t leave your divorce up to chance. Secure a skilled lawyer to make sure that you are able to get a legal divorce that suits your needs.
