If you’re facing a divorce, you very likely recognize that you need a skilled divorce attorney on your side, but you may not know the first thing about how to find one. The good news is that it’s not rocket science – with a few helpful hints backing you up, you’ll be well prepared to choose the right divorce attorney for you and your case.
Because your parental and financial rights are at stake, you shouldn’t delay the process of finding the best Round Rock divorce attorney for you.
Your Attorney Will Play a Primary Role in Your Case
Your attorney will play a primary role in your divorce case, which includes ably handling each of the following important tasks:
Ensuring that you understand exactly what is at stake and what to expect as you move through the divorce process
Helping you establish your divorce priorities, which can help you tighten up your negotiation strategies
Carefully listening to your concerns and ensuring that you feel heard throughout the divorce process – you need a divorce attorney who makes it clear that they’re on your side.
Accurately assessing your marital assets to help ensure that you receive a just and right division
Building a strong case that clearly demonstrates both your parental and financial rights
Engaging in skilled negotiations for just terms that work for you
Being well prepared to represent you in court if your case becomes hopelessly stalled
Finding an attorney who is a good match for you can make a significant difference in the outcome of your case, which makes putting serious effort into the process well advised.
Do Your Research
If you’re facing a divorce, you need an attorney, and when you’re in the market for virtually anything these days, you go online. The same is true when you’re in the market for a seasoned divorce attorney. A bit of research can go a long way when it comes to finding an attorney who is a good fit for you and your case. Factors to keep in mind include:
You want someone with whom you’re comfortable opening up – because you’ll need to share a lot of personal information with your divorce attorney, you need to be comfortable doing so.
You want someone who has significant experience handling cases like yours. For example, if your divorce involves a high-asset business, is especially contentious, or includes very challenging child custody issues, you need an attorney who has proven experience in that arena.
You want someone whom others review positively. Attorneys who work hard for their clients generate positive reviews and testimonials, and reading everything you can find about your potential divorce attorney can help you make a better-informed decision.
You want someone who communicates clearly and is interested in showing you the ropes. The firm’s website should give you a pretty good idea about how committed the attorneys are to speaking plainly and to making themselves understood.
You want someone whose views align relatively well with your own. Do some peeking around on their website, read a few of their divorce blogs, and ask yourself if they seem like the right attorney – or the right firm – for you.
Once you have an attorney or two in mind, you can make some calls and set up some interviews.
Make the Call
Once you’ve come up with a few names, it’s time to start making your calls. Many divorce attorneys provide free consultations, and these are a great way to help you determine if you’re heading in the right direction.
An important point to keep in mind is that you need an attorney who has the time necessary to commit to your case. If they are more interested in padding their book than in serving your legal needs, you can do better, but if they’re all in and are committed to skillfully guiding you through the divorce process, you may have met your match.
Too many firms have their best front person field all consultations, but the clients who come on board may never work with that attorney again. This makes it important to ask questions about who you’ll be working with moving forward.
If the attorney you’ve met with will remain in charge of your case – while you also work with their support staff – you could have a good thing going. If, however, the attorney is vague on the point of who you’ll be working with, it may be time to keep looking.
Finding the right divorce attorney is key to protecting your future. Reach out to a savvy Round Rock attorney to get the guidance you need.
Be on the Lookout for Red Flags
Divorce attorneys are as unique as the clients they represent, and there is no definitive list of qualities to look for, other than experience and integrity, or attributes to avoid, other than lack of experience and lack of integrity, right out of the gate. There are, however, red flags that you are better off giving a pass, including all of the following:
An attorney who is a poor communicator
An attorney who ignores your direct questions or who skates around them
An attorney whom you have difficulty getting in touch with, which is likely to get worse with the passage of time
A firm that treats you like a case number rather than like a valued client
A firm that doesn’t offer the level of personalized service you need
An attorney who makes guarantees – it’s impossible to know exactly how a case will be resolved prior to it actually being resolved, but a reputable divorce attorney will discuss how your case is likely to be resolved with you
If the attorney you’re considering isn’t genuinely focused on the unique characteristics of your case and on your legal needs, they won’t have the clear understanding necessary to provide you with the skilled legal counsel that you deserve.
Proceed with Realistic Expectations
Divorce is a legal journey as well as an emotional one. Your divorce attorney will help you navigate the legal intricacies ahead with care, which – in turn – will help protect your financial and parental rights.
In the divorce process, you’ll need to do a lot of unraveling, which will reveal the facts of your case and what you can likely expect regarding terms. It’s a careful process that requires skilled analysis, and going in with realistic expectations sets the stage for a more favorable outcome.
In your divorce, you’ll need to negotiate each of the following terms that apply, and any one of them can turn into a challenging battleground:
Parenting time and legal custody, which refer to when the children are with whom and decision-making authority, respectively
Child support, which is calculated according to the state’s fixed guidelines
The just and right division of your marital property, which is based on a wide range of variables and may or may not lead to an equal division
Alimony, or spousal maintenance, which only plays a role when divorce leaves one spouse without the resources necessary to cover their own reasonable needs while the other has the financial ability to help
Setting realistic divorce priorities can grant you clearer direction and enhanced leverage when it comes to negotiations. The road forward toward divorce is long and challenging, and recognizing this up-front can leave you better prepared to face what’s to come.
When you go in with your eyes wide open, you’re far less likely to suffer setbacks that have the potential to cost you a significant amount of time and money.
If you and your divorcing spouse are able to negotiate terms that you’re both willing to sign off on, your case will be uncontested and can be resolved without the court’s intervention.
Negotiating, however, refers to making compromises, which means you should be prepared to give in order to receive. Ultimately, neither one of you is likely to walk away 100 percent satisfied with your terms, but the benefits of resolving these primary terms between yourselves – rather than allowing a stranger to do so for you – are difficult to overstate.
The right divorce attorney for you will help you set realistic expectations in the context of your unique case. Well-respected divorce attorneys don’t allow their clients to harbor expectations that have very little chance of being realized. If your attorney can’t tell you the truth – even when it isn’t what you want to hear – they aren’t doing you any favors.
Your divorce deserves personalized legal support from a trusted Round Rock attorney.
Look for an Attorney Who Understands Your Goals
Your divorce expectations and your goals are two distinct matters. Your goals reflect your priorities, which you can pursue to varying degrees.
For example, if your goal is maximizing your parenting time, there are actionable steps you can take to help make that happen. You may, however, have to manage your own expectations, such as if you expect your children’s other parent to receive very little visitation, which is unlikely to happen and – under most circumstances – wouldn’t be in your children’s best interests.
Discuss Mediation with the Divorce Attorney You’re Considering
The right divorce attorney for you will at least consider mediation in relation to your case. Mediation is a viable option in all but a few rare instances. Even highly complex cases – in which topic-specific experts are brought in – can be successfully resolved at mediation without either spouse’s rights being jeopardized.
If, however, your divorcing spouse is bound and determined to make your divorce more – rather than less – difficult, mediation probably won’t serve you well. If your spouse is letting you know that they’re not interested in negotiating, you should take them at their word.
The benefits of mediation – when it is deemed appropriate – include all the following:
It’s generally less costly and less time consuming than going to court.
It can help diffuse the divorce drama.
It is a more private process than going to court, which leads to records that are a matter of public information.
It is a less formal process than going to court, which helps lighten the mood and take the edge off.
It can be legally binding but only if you reach agreements that you and your divorcing spouse are both willing to sign off on. In other words, you can’t be forced to accept terms that you’re opposed to.
It allows you the opportunity to build on the compromises you’ve made so far.
It allows you and your spouse to speak for yourselves – although your respective divorce attorneys will be by your sides helping to protect your rights throughout the process.
Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
You are seeking a divorce for a reason, and that is to disentangle yourself from your marriage and move on toward a new beginning. While the process is never easy, it can become more difficult than it has to be.
By keeping your focus on what needs to be done and by taking one step at a time – without becoming distracted by any antics your divorcing spouse engages in – you help put your case behind you sooner rather than later.
It’s difficult to say what kind of challenges you’ll face on your journey forward, but you’re sure to face some. By keeping your focus on what needs to be done and working closely with your accomplished divorce attorney throughout the process, you help pave the way toward a streamlined conclusion that supports your rights.
You Need an Experienced Round Rock Divorce Attorney on Your Side
Brett Pritchard at The Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard is a practiced Round Rock divorce attorney who harnesses the full force of his experience for every case he takes on and employs a personalized approach that ensures every client is well represented.
The outcome of your case Is important to your future, so please don’t wait to contact or call us at 254-781-4222 to schedule a free consultation and learn more about what we can do for you today.