How To Choose A Divorce Lawyer

It is important to choose a good divorce attorney as the issues related to divorce may turn out to be quite complicated and need to be handled skillfully. The attorney you select should be able to deal with the complexities of the case and resolve it while keeping your best interest in mind.

Here are some of the tips on how to choose a divorce lawyer:

• Referral: Take advice from your friends, acquaintances and relatives about the divorce attorney. If you or someone from your family has already worked with a divorce lawyer, it can be of great help. You can also search online for divorce lawyers in your area. Go through their legal expertise and client testimonials to determine if he can represent your case.
• Meet different lawyers: Arrange meetings with a few lawyers to know about their experience and practice areas. Ask them about the type of divorce cases that they have handled and what their outcomes were. You can also ask for references of some of their previous clients. You must choose a lawyer who makes you feel comfortable and with whom you can easily discuss the details of your case.
• Cost: Before contacting any lawyer, you need to understand your budget. Lawyers charge differently depending upon their experience. Some lawyers may charge on hourly basis while others may ask for a fixed amount. Understand the variables involved in your case and select a lawyer who fits within your budget. However, you must not choose a lawyer based solely on the cost factor. The quality of representation you receive is equally important for a favorable outcome of the case.
• Personal compatibility: You must feel comfortable communicating with the divorce lawyer. Right from the first consultation, you should be able to open up about the intricate facts of your divorce case. Trust your instincts and choose a lawyer who is willing to listen to your opinions and expectations from the case, without any subjectivity.

The above points will surely make it easy for you to choose the right lawyer for your divorce case.

What A Divorce Lawyer Can Do For You

Divorce is undoubtedly a life-changing decision that brings along huge stress for both spouses. It is essential to contact an experienced divorce lawyer to explore the best options and reach conclusions that are in your best interests. He can help you make informed decisions and resolve other divorce related issues. Here are some ways a divorce lawyer can be helpful.

• Understand the divorce procedure: A divorce lawyer can help you understand every step of the divorce proceedings. He will thoroughly analyze the case as well as the relevant precedents to determine the potential outcomes. He will also let you know about the questions that can be asked by the prosecuting attorney and the right way to answer them.
• Answer your queries: Your divorce lawyer will clear any doubts that you have regarding the case. He will answer all your queries and concerns about divorce, child custody, alimony, child support, property division etc. The lawyer will also help you understand the divorce laws and keep you updated about the case proceedings.
• Handle paperwork: A lawyer will file the divorce petition in the court and dispatch summons to the other party. If your spouse has filed for divorce, your lawyer will be responsible to submit a response. He will also take care of all the paperwork such as motion for custodial support, temporary visitation arrangements, asset disclosure etc.
• Mediation: Another important role played by a divorce lawyer is acting as a mediator. He helps in resolving the disputes between you and your spouse so that a conclusion can be reached with mutual consent.  During mediation, he ensures that both the parties agree upon a fair decision and that your rights are fully protected.
• Protects the interests: A divorce lawyer helps to protect your best interests regarding your assets and spousal alimony. He ensures that the earnings are equitably distributed and you receive a justified amount for alimony as well as child support.
• Settle issues related to child custody: If you have children, then the divorce lawyer helps you settle issues related to child custody. He negotiates the child visitation rights and various reliefs that the law grants. He prepares temporary visitation orders and custody arrangements.
• Attend court hearings: Your lawyer will handle the court trials, maintain files and copies of all the documents that need to be presented to the judge. He will keep you informed about each step and try to expedite the finalization of the case.

By hiring a divorce lawyer, you can eliminate the need to deal with the complexities of the case and make decisions that can have a positive impact on you or your child’s life.

Factors Used To Determine Child Custody

When a divorce takes place, there are a number of important issues that need to be resolved. However, one of the most critical and sensitive matters is to determine the custody of the children. Even in a collaborative divorce, working out which parent will be responsible for the upbringing of the child is quite stressful. Both spouses are always encouraged to mutually agree on the issue of child custody. However, if this is not possible, the court may need to get involved to make a decision.

There are numerous factors that affect the verdict regarding child custody. Generally, the main goal of the decision is to provide a safe and secure environment for the child to live and flourish. Some of these factors are:

• Consistency: While making a decision, the main focus of the court is not to disrupt the child’s life. Thus, it takes into consideration the previous home environment and the primary caregiver. For instance, if the mother has been looking after the child, giving the custody to the father would be upsetting and distressing for the child. Also, if the child will be living in a new home, its location, accessibility to school, parks, healthcare facilities will also be considered.
• Parental Fitness: Although the physical impairment of a parent is not considered by the court, his/her ability to look after the child properly is definitely a determining factor. The judge carefully analyzes the physical, emotional and mental well-being of each parent. If any of the parties has a previous criminal or felony record, getting a verdict in his/her favor is a tough task.
• Maintaining family relationships: The one who is more likely to encourage a healthy and long-term relation with the other parent has more chances to receive the custody. A history of interference in visitation rights can also be detrimental to your custody petition.
• Child’s Preference: Depending upon the age of the child, the court may also ask about his likes and preferences. However, this not the sole evaluator for the decision. The judge may consider the child’s choice in conjunction with other factors.

In addition to the above mentioned, there are various other factors that are used to determine child custody. These may include history of substance abuse or assault, parenting skills, child’s physical and mental vulnerabilities, relationship with either parent, and sexual orientation of parents’ etc.

Things To Avoid During Divorce Proceedings

With the intense emotional pressure that surrounds a divorce, it is understandable why people end up making the worst mistakes during the period leading up to the divorce, and often have to live with these decisions for the rest of their lives.

Here is a look at some of the biggest pitfalls made during divorce proceedings:

• Making poorly informed decisions: While you might think that divorces are governed by common sense, and that you are smart enough to know what is right for you, the truth is that a divorce is a purely legal process, which is why it is important to seek legal counsel. Hiring an experienced divorce lawyer in Killeen can help make your job a lot easier, ensuring you understand the legal implications of every decision you make.
• Allowing the attorney to control the entire process: Although it is important to hire an attorney to guide you through the process, this does not mean that you completely hand over the reins of your divorce in his hands. It is important to remain involved throughout the process, and ask as many questions as you need, to ensure that you completely understand what you are signing up for.
• Following an approach of revenge: If you step into the courtroom with revenge against your soon-to-be ex-spouse being your prime motive, be ready for nothing more than an inflated ego. It sure might be satisfying to lash out at them and let the entire courtroom know how they have wronged you, but you need to understand that the court will not punish anyone without proper procedure and decorum followed.
• Settling too low or committing to high: When it comes to the financial aspects of a divorce, it is far too common for one party to be exploited without them even realizing it. Divorce lawyers can play a major role here, helping you to have a realistic view of what to expect in the years to come, and take into account often ignored aspects such as tax implications and inflation. Your goal should be to play it fair with everyone involved, you included.
• Letting emotions come in the way: Another common mistake witnessed is people choose a less-valuable asset like their marital home, over a much more lucrative one, like say, a share of their spouse’s pension. It is important to ensure that you do not let emotions govern the decisions you make during this testing time.

Custody Lawyer In Killeen TX

With all the emotional and mental turmoil involved in going through a divorce, it is usually difficult to remain levelheaded while dealing with a child custody case. Hiring a good custody lawyer can go a long way in helping you to handle the situation objectively, and make the best decision in the interest of your child/ children. The key question that needs to be addressed in a custody case is who the children will be spending maximum time with, out of both the parents.

Here is a look at some of the key benefits of hiring a custody lawyer:

• There are several different types of custodies that the court has to choose from. Hiring an experienced Killeen lawyer with experience in dealing with custody cases will help you better understand your options from a legal standpoint.
• If you think that joint custody could be the best option for your child, you will need to choose from some of the most proficient lawyers, to be able to convince the court of this decision. This is because most courts do not favor this custody settlement, due to the negative psychological outcome it is believed to have on the child.
• The role of the custody lawyer becomes even greater when both the parents involved are not on cordial terms with each other. In these cases, hiring the right custody lawyer could help to ensure that the final decision made by the court is fair, and protects the rights of everyone involved.
• One wrong statement passed in the court at the time of the hearing could work against you, and end up turning the entire ruling in the opponent party’s favor. A custody lawyer can prevent this from happening, by guiding you about the anticipated questions to expect, and the best answers to give to them.
• Custody lawyers have vast experiences in dealing with similar cases, and are well-versed with the laws governing the cases, due to which they might even be able to guide you on how to present an evident shortcoming, such as a history of drug abuse, or unemployment, in the right light. Your lawyer will give you the right advice on how to convince the court that you are capable of being a good parent.