‘Make Divorce A Last Resort’ Say Family Law Specialists

In an unprecedented move family law solicitors Woolley & Co have published a set of six guidelines for anyone considering calling a divorce lawyer and their first piece advice is don’t –not at least without being sure you have thought through your options.

Andrew Woolley, Senior Partner at Woolley & Co, whose pioneering UK-wide family law firm conducts much of its work online and over the phone, said, “Getting a divorce can be a costly and emotional process, that we would encourage people to avoid, especially if there are children involved.

“We encourage couples to take six steps before considering the help of a divorce lawyer.  January can often bring a stampede of couples who began having difficulties over the Christmas period.  There are so many potential strains over Christmas that it can put stress on even the strongest relationship.”

Steps to take before contacting a divorce lawyer include:                                          

 STOP! Do you really want to take this step in the relationship? Maybe you can both go to a relationship counsellor, ask your religious leader to help, read the Relate website or take other steps to save the situation. That said when a person is known to have spoken to a divorce lawyer, it allows the other person in the relationship to realise how serious they are and that can cause a major change in them. But do think carefully, first. It is important to bear in mind that a good family and divorce lawyer will aid your understanding of the options available.  Any one in this situation should realise that calling a divorce lawyer doesn’t mean you have to take it any further, it just means you have access to information and advice so that you can make an informed decision.

ASK people you know which divorce lawyer they used and what their views were. All divorce lawyers are qualified in a similar way but you will need to find one who specialises in family law or divorce law. Looking on the Web is a great idea to find a lawyer who really looks like they specialise in family law rather than say they do. If you can understand their website you will probably understand them. Do they offer fixed fees and/or do they tell you how much they charge? All these are very good signs.

CONSIDER what you are really trying to achieve. Maybe you would like to have some counselling or “divorce coaching” to help you with that. Many people, perhaps understandably, go to divorce lawyers insisting upon what is really vengeance. Courts are very, very expensive places to attempt to mete out any form of punishment to a former spouse. Try to avoid this unless you want a legal bill of the huge figures one sometimes reads about.  

PREPARE your papers and figures. Make a note of your view of the valuations of valuable items such as house, car and investments. Try to get papers together on pensions, savings, bank accounts and salary for both of you. The more information you can provide, the more detailed advice you will receive at an early stage.

DON’T agree anything, formally or signed, with your spouse. That will come soon enough. Quite often we see cases where a dominant partner has pushed the other into a proposed financial settlement that is very, very unwise indeed. Listen to what they say by all means but find out what the traps are for the unwary, first.  If you have already come to an agreement, do tell your divorce lawyer. Nobody will stop you going through with it provided you understand it. Divorce lawyers are only there to advise, not to tell.

CHECK you can have an informal talk to your proposed divorce lawyer before you are committed. Can they communicate with you? Do you understand them? Do they seem understanding and knowledgeable? If not, go somewhere else. The vast majority of complaints about divorce lawyers are about failure to communicate properly and not about legal ability. It does not matter how technically good they are and how many certificates they have if they can’t help you understand what is happening.

If you have decided that you need to speak to a family and divorce specialist you can book a free half hour appointment to assess your options here or by calling 0800 3213832.

 

Advice on tackling break-ups can be found on the Woolley & Co website at www.family-lawfirm.co.uk.