If you feel your marriage may be ending and you are heading in the direction of a divorce, it is a good idea to take a moment to carefully assess your situation and decide whether or not you will be needing legal advice and assistance from a qualified professional. While a divorce can be completed without the involvement of lawyers, various unexpected complications can arise and that is where having a divorce lawyer can help you. They can help with various tasks, ranging from simply filling out the required forms for you to instructing you on what the best choice will be given the situation you are, for example, how much you should be expecting in terms of a financial settlement.
Finding The Right Lawyer
If you have reviewed your situation and decided that hiring a lawyer is the way to go, you must be aware of the fact that not all lawyers are the same and finding one that will best suit you and your needs is also an important part of the whole process. You should determine what you are looking for in the lawyer you will be hiring, taking into account what exactly you will be needing them for, whether they will simply be someone to help you fill out divorce papers versus someone who is going to be aggressive and negotiate strongly for you to receive a better financial outcome.
You should contact a number of lawyers before settling on a single one. Recommendations from family and friends are usually the best way to meet solicitors that will likely serve you well. Additionally, there are websites in existence that allow you to search for lawyers in your area, such as the Legal Adviser Finder (http://legaladviserfinder.justice.gov.uk) resource made available by the Legal Services Commission (LSA), which allows you to specify your postcode and the area of law with which you will be requiring assistance.
The Cost Of Hiring A Lawyer
Lawyers can end up being very expensive, especially if you make extensive use of their services, so you should make sure you are fully aware of their fees before agreeing to anything. It should be further noted that lawyers are bound by law to be completely transparent with their clients when it comes to fees and that they are not permitted to mask any hidden costs.
When it comes to how much it will cost, it is difficult to say with any certainty. A fixed fee is usually agreed in advance, before any work takes place to ensure both lawyer and client are happy with the arrangement. The cost itself will be directly related to how much time and work the lawyer is putting in for the client, which in turn is related to how much you and your partner can agree on. For example, if the lawyer is working around the clock to negotiate an agreement with your spouse’s lawyer because you cannot agree between yourselves, the cost will be significantly higher than if you agreed on all matters.
Mediation & Legal Aid
If you have a limited budget and cannot afford to pay a lawyer to be working on your behalf, you should contemplate using a mediator to solve your problems. A mediator is a neutral individual who works with the couple in order to try to settle any differences and is financially advantageous to both parties, especially if you are entitled to legal aid, which would make the mediation process completely free. To check if you are able to receive legal aid, you can use the LSA’s Legal Aid Calculator (http://legalaidcalculator.justice.gov.uk/calculators/eligiCalc).
This post provided by Darlingtons Solicitors.
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