When you hire a family lawyer, it’s not as simple as sitting back and letting them handle everything. While you can take a minimalist approach to your involvement, things will move faster and be more productive if you are as cooperative as possible with them.
While your divorce and the disputes surrounding it (such as child custody and settlement of assets) is going to leave you with some feelings of stress and anxiety, you still need to try you best to work productively with your family lawyer. The more cooperative you are, the faster it will be over, and you will be able to walk away with a better result.
Let’s examine some tips on how to work effectively with your family lawyer.
Be prompt and organised
While it’s the job of your family lawyer to keep your case organised for you, it can only be helpful if you do your best to be organised and prompt. This means that you should have your own calendar to update you on important meetings and dates, instead of requiring your family lawyer to remind you of everything.
The less time you spend fumbling around for important files, the more time your family lawyer has to work with you on the important stuff. If you arrive on-time to your meetings with the family lawyer, then you will be able to get much more done than if you always showed up late.
The more organised you are, the more time your solicitor can spend doing what you are actually paying them for. Get your money’s worth!
Don’t fall victim to your emotions
Of course, the period you are going through is highly emotional, and there’s no healthy way to completely discount the way you feel. However, you should find ways to process and offload your emotional anxiety before you try to get business done with the family lawyer you have hired.
While your family lawyer will be prepared for clients who breakdown in tears in front of them (and have likely seen it many times before), it’s best not to get to this state with them. Every second you spend in self-pity is a second that could have been spent working on your case and helping you put this entire affair behind you.
The longer you spend resolving your divorce, the longer you will be reminded of the pain of the split. Don’t linger on negative emotions, and instead focus your energy on getting the best result possible.
Also, don’t let emotional thinking cloud your judgement when it comes to the practical steps you take in your case. For example, trying to pursue a court battle so that you can try to take everything away from your ex is vindictive and not very practical.
Don’t become a slave to your emotions. Listen to the professional expertise of your family lawyer and leave the tears and bitterness at the door.
Be honest with them
You aren’t going to have much success working with your family lawyer if you are not totally honest with them. Your solicitor is sworn to confidentiality, and their career would end if they spilled any secret you told them, and they are some of the most trustworthy people for that reason.
If you hide something from your family lawyer that’s relevant to the case, then they won’t be prepared for it if your ex uses it against you. Make sure you are honest with your family lawyer so you can make the best plan of action based on the facts of the case.
