When your marriage ends, you must hire divorce lawyers to help you through the journey.
A divorce lawyer can do many things to help you get a divorce or legal separation. Some of the things the attorney can help you with include the following:
- Providing sound and accurate legal advice on various issues related to your divorce, such as the division of property and child custody, so that you can make well-informed decisions.
- Fill out and file paperwork about your case correctly.
- Offer different ways to settle a dispute that you might not know about. The attorney will help you gather evidence to back up your case. They will also help you know your legal rights and responsibilities.
How to make sure your divorce lawyer is giving you the best service
Unless you’ve been through a separation or divorce before, it’s unlikely that you’ll know what to expect when you hire a divorce lawyer. A lawyer needs to know a lot about you and your situation so that they can help you.
This calls for you to be honest about your situation. You also need the relevant documents to help the attorney present the case professionally in court.
Some of the information that the attorney should know from you include:
A summary of your relationship with your ex
As we’ve already said, your lawyer needs to know a lot about you and your situation. Telling them about important parts of your relationship is a great way to start a separation or divorce.
Some of the most likely things they will need to know are:
- How long you were together with your ex-partner
- When you moved in together, which is especially important for de facto relationships.
- When you got married
- The date you split up
- If you have kids, their names, ages, and where they live.
Information on Assets and Debts
Most separations and divorces involve a property settlement agreement in which the former couple’s property and assets are divided. It’s important to know what these assets are.
The property and assets can include things each person bought individually or together. They can also include things that were bought before the relationship, during the relationship, or even after the breakup.
Some of the assets and debts you might have are: Family home, cars and vehicles, furniture, jewelry, money, investments, trusts, inheritances, and superannuation.
When it comes to debts, you might have credit card debts, a mortgage, and personal loans.
In a property settlement, how property, assets, debts, and liabilities are handled can vary from one relationship to the next and depend on several factors.
Details about income and jobs
For the property settlement process to go smoothly, your lawyer needs to know how much money you and your ex-spouse make and where you both work. It’s usually a good idea to give a full history, including when one or both of you may not have been able to work because of child care, an injury, or an inability to find work.
This information will determine what each person brings to the relationship and how much they can earn in the future. When figuring out how to split up the property, current and future needs are considered.
Your expenses
As we’ve already said, the division of assets considers future needs, so it’s important to know how much you spend and what you need to live.
What You Want to Accomplish
A lawyer’s job is to get you and your family the best possible outcome, even in a divorce. Before hiring family lawyers Fairfax VA, consider what you want your divorce to accomplish.
Are you interested in property settlements or child custody? You should let your lawyer know about this, which will help them figure out what they may need to do to help you. It will also help them tell you what’s possible and ensure you know your rights and responsibilities.
