3 Questions About Hiring A Divorce Lawyer
Posted on: 26 May 2021
If you are thinking about getting a divorce, you're likely thinking about getting lawyers involved in this legal situation. Many people are averse to hiring a lawyer right away in a divorce, but there are many advantages of having them involved at the start of the process. Here are some questions you likely have about hiring a divorce lawyer.
Will Having A Lawyer Interfere With Early Negotiations?
You may be surprised at what a lawyer can provide by being involved at the beginning. They can help guide a lot of the decision-making so that you don't make bad decisions early on. Your lawyer will help inform you about how the law applies to you, create goals for what you want to get during the divorce process, and form a strategy about how to get there.
A common mistake that people make is giving things up early in the divorce process that they could use as leverage later. For example, even if you do not want to keep the house, you can use it to get something that means more to you. If you gave up the house without a lawyer guiding your decisions, you will have lost a key part of leveraging your own negotiations.
Should You Not Negotiate Without A Lawyer?
Many people assume that, once you have a lawyer, you should always negotiate with them present. However, that is not always the case. You can negotiate in a 1-on-1 situation with your spouse, but it is always best to consult your lawyer about how negotiations should go. This can help give you an advantage in those solo negotiation sessions where you do not want to seem like you are taking advice from a lawyer, but you actually are.
Will A Lawyer Help Make Negotiations Civil Or Combative?
A misconception that people often have about using a lawyer is that it is going to make the negotiations a bit combative. However, this is more based on the attitude of the spouses than if lawyers are involved or not. Lawyers can help guide discussions because they can help with mediation in many ways, trying to help to find common ground between the two of you. If you are not seeking legal counsel, it is easy to feel that negotiations are not being reasonable and to assume that you are not getting a good deal. This can actually lead to the divorce being more combative.
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