How to Be the Best Divorce Client
Posted on September 02,2014 in Divorce
A legal proceeding like divorce is a team effort. It requires lawyers, paralegals, clerks, and legal secretaries to work together to all help reach the best outcome, and one of the key members of the legal team is the client themselves. Naturally, this can be a bit of a difficult adjustment for the client, since data from the United States Census indicates that the overwhelming majority of people going through divorce have never done it before.
Fortunately, this post highlights a few strategies that people can use to be more effective divorce clients like staying organized, taking an active role in the process, and keeping a level head. Divorce clients using these strategies can streamline and speed up the divorce process, which often means keeping their legal fees lower.
Stay Organized
Organization can be a big help to moving the case forward quickly and effectively. While the attorney should also be tracking important court documents and filings, there are going to be certain things, like tax returns, that the divorce client is going to have to provide. Making sure these are readily available can ensure a speedier process.
Preparation is also a key part of organization. Coming to every meeting with the attorney with a list of questions and an agenda can help move the meeting forward, and it can ensure that the meetings cover everything concerned by the client. This can help prevent unnecessary follow-up emails with extra questions that do nothing but increase the cost of the divorce. Similarly, a client’s preparing a written list of goals at the start of the divorce can be helpful. This can allow the client to keep his or her eye on the ball, and it can make it easier to track the progress being made, which is an important morale booster.
Take an Active Role
Another important thing divorce clients can do is take an active role in their own divorce. By asking questions and making sure that they understand what is going on, they can become a bigger asset to the legal team. This includes volunteering documents and information that may be helpful, and making sure that the attorney’s understanding of the facts of the situation is as accurate as it can possibly be. This can help prevent unwanted surprises in the process.
Keep a Level Head
The final piece of advice, and the one that can be the most difficult for some people, is to maintain a level head throughout the process. Divorces can be emotionally charged, and they can reopen old wounds. However, the more the two sides stay calm and approach things with reasonable goals, the faster, easier, and cheaper the divorce will be in the long run.
Whether you have already made the decision to file for divorce or you are still just thinking about it, contact a DuPage County divorce lawyer. An experienced legal professional can help answer any questions you may have, and can help you start moving in the right direction.
