Legal tips for North Florida residents
If your marriage is dissolving, you will need a divorce lawyer to help with the legal aspects. A divorce is often a very personal and sensitive affair, so hiring a lawyer you don’t know can be unsettling. If you find a good attorney, however, you can reach a settlement as quickly and painlessly as possible. Here are some things a divorce attorney is responsible to provide you.
Pre-Divorce Wisdom
When you first meet with your attorney, he or she should be able to provide you with helpful pre-divorce wisdom, including advising you on matters like marital possessions, credit cards, bank accounts, child custody, home rights, and other concerns. An attorney should also understand that this is a difficult time for you and provide reassurance of what’s next as you progress through the divorce stages. Some attorneys may even take a personal approach and recommend therapists that your children or you can consult.
Paperwork
When the divorce is first initiated, your attorney will need to prepare a Summons and file a Divorce Complaint with the court. If your spouse is the first one to do this, your attorney will need to provide a response and will need to review your real estate, business, pension, insurance, and financial documents. Tax returns are also very important during a divorce, so your attorney should have basic accounting knowledge.
Other paperwork your attorney will need to prepare include motions for custodial support and temporary visitation arrangements. If your lawyer requires more information than you are able to provide, he/she will need to request documents and interrogatories with your spouse.
Trial and Settlement Proceedings
Whenever you email, write or call your lawyer, you should expect a timely response. Any documents and information received from your spouse’s lawyer should be forwarded both to you and to the court. Your attorney should inform you of any new developments as soon as they arrive, including those which involve child custody decisions and asset distribution.
Professional Assistance
Depending on the case, you may need the opinion of an expert to help resolve a dispute. Experts are often called in during business valuations, property appraisals, and child custody arrangements. A good attorney will have the contact information of these professionals on hand so you can get things moving as quickly as possible.
Conclusion
An attorney should accompany you to any court depositions, hearings, and conferences. He/she should fully support you during settlement negotiations and lengthy paperwork. If the case does go to trial, you should be fully briefed on what may happen in court and how to prepare yourself.
We consider these responsibilities to be our sacred duty, and we are always on the lookout for other ways to go above and beyond. Divorce is a tough road to walk, but with us, you’re not alone.
How can we help you? Please contact John Greene today.
John F. Greene
is a Destin, Florida divorce attorney with more than three decades of courtroom experience. He provides a full range of legal services to clients in Okaloosa and Walton Counties and throughout Northwest Florida. If you or a loved one is anticipating a dissolution of marriage, contact John online or call his office (850) 424-6833 for a legal consultation to take the first step toward starting over fresh.
