Why you need a divorce lawyer?
Divorce lawyers can help you with any issues relating to the process of separation, including making financial and property decisions and negotiating custody or visitation with the other parent.
A divorce lawyer can help you get fair and equitable settlement of issues in your divorce. This is good for you both and your children.
The divorce lawyer can:
Review your financial situation
Create an equitable legal order between you and your spouse
Negotiate custody or visitation with the other parent
Present and/or defend your case in court
Set up meetings with the other parent(s) to resolve issues in your divorce
Bring a lawyer’s opinion to the court
In the event you choose a divorce lawyer who works only with attorneys, he/she will only be allowed to represent you.
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What are the responsibilities of the lawyer you choose?
The lawyer should provide you with services that will protect your interests, and avoid impropriety and improper conduct on your part. The lawyer will not represent you, act for you or for your child in any legal proceeding in which you might be involved without your consent.
In some cases, in which a lawyer also serves as the appointed representative of the other parent, the lawyer may only represent the interest of the client without the knowledge or consent of the other parent. (See also Individual Representation.)
The lawyer must be impartial and not allow any family relationship, past or present, to influence or affect his/her work or professional conduct.
A lawyer is not responsible for any errors or omissions in representing you, or your child, in any legal proceeding, unless you have notified the lawyer of the matter.
The lawyer must keep confidential any matters he/she should not discuss with you.
If you choose a divorce lawyer with no special or particular skill or experience in divorce matters, that lawyer will likely perform well. But if you choose a lawyer who specializes in divorce, it is important for you to know what to expect in court.
At the beginning of your divorce case, when you have to choose a lawyer, your lawyers should be selected so that each is an expert in his/her subject matter. There are many divorce laws and issues. All lawyers must be able to handle them.
Many factors are considered when you choose your divorce lawyer. The more able the lawyer, the higher the fee that he or she charges you. Sometimes the Los Angeles divorce lawyers ask for high hourly rates simply for the trouble of hiring them.
A particular lawyer can, in effect, charge you a very high fee for one act of help. This can be very confusing and frustrating. You must remember that a lawyer is a business, too.
When you hire a divorce lawyer, he or she may be called on to make certain points in your favor before your divorce case goes to court. It is therefore important to be sure that the lawyer is an expert on your particular issue.
Your lawyer will do nothing for you unless you agree to let your divorce case go forward. It is common for divorcing parents to agree to have their divorce special hearings before family court judges.
You should be confident and content with the lawyer who is representing you. You can not only tell him or her how to answer your questions in court, but you can also ask questions. Many things you may not have thought of are fair game.
