In the unlikely event you have to retain the services of a divorce lawyer, ensure they have adequate experience and you can rely on them. The best attorney to employ is one who, for at least half their time, is dealing with divorce cases and is fully skilled in mediation techniques. However, none of this will be any good without your complete trust in their abilities.

Attorneys that tend to follow the mediation route are good at giving settlement advice but you may need an attorney who is more familiar with courtroom settlements. To save time, always ensure you know exactly what you are going to say to your divorce lawyer and what questions you need answered.

Costs are always an issue so write down everything you want to ask and in a logical order always making sure there is an accurate record of times dates and the duration of conversations. As all costs relating to law and legal advice are costly, try not to visit them at the office unless absolutely necessary; this can be achieved by using the phone or mail.

Your divorce attorney is just a resource for legal matters so do not try to get them personally involved as that is not their function; if you need emotional support there are others who can help with this. Try not to involve you divorce lawyer with any tales of bickering that you and your ex-partner are involved in that are not directly pertinent to the divorce.

Let your lawyer know from the start that you will be in charge of the case and they are there for legal advice and not as someone to lean on when things start getting rough. Tell them you want good advice and will rely on their experience, but that you expect to make decisions that concern the tone and strategy of the case. Ask that you be sent copies of all documents and letters and let them know that you expect phone calls to be answered by the next working day after all you are the one paying the bills.

Don’t think that you have to enter into proceedings armed with a lawyer in tow as they aren’t always necessary although you may wish to speak to one just for advice on a marital settlement for example. After you have organized all your facts and read about how the law works in your case, if you still have questions about the law or the likely outcome, write all your questions down and ask your lawyer. It is not uncommon for people to draw up their own marital settlements with the help of a divorce lawyer who is familiar with the case.

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