Choosing a lawyer for your divorce case is one of the most important decisions you will make for your divorce. There are many factors to weigh when choosing your divorce lawyer who will represent you and your child’s best interests. Some factors to weigh are financial concerns for the divorce proceeding in Singapore, the legal complexities of your divorce, and the expertise of the lawyer. Careful consideration of these factors could lead you to hiring a Divorce Lawyer who can secure the best results for your divorce within the budget you have catered for the divorce, in an expeditious manner.
We have compiled a comprehensive list on what to have in mind when looking for a Specialist Divorce Lawyer suitable for you.
1. Understand what you want to achieve from the divorce by educating yourself briefly on the divorce process;
You might be wondering, “Why is this important”?
Knowing the results you want from the divorce is what only you can decide. Your divorce lawyer will be there to advise you on your legal options, possible legal outcomes, and act on your instructions. Understanding the results you want to achieve from your divorce, and the manner you would like to achieve it could guide you in choosing a lawyer who can best represent you based on their expertise. For example, if you know that you want to take a collaborative divorce route, it may be of your interest to hire a lawyer from a firm which encourages and practices collaborative divorce approaches such as divorce mediation.
Your second question might be, “how do I go about finding out what I want to achieve from this divorce”?
There are many sources online that you can go to for a brief idea on the divorce process such as the Singapore Family Justice Courts website which has information on the divorce process and other family law matters. Otherwise, you could also consult an experienced divorce lawyer for advice on the pros and cons of different legal routes and potential legal outcomes for your case
It is not uncommon to not know what you want to achieve when you first embark on looking for a family lawyer, and highlighting this to lawyers when you first see them is also important for them to cater their advice to you, and for them to let you know if they are suitable lawyers to achieve the outcome that you want.
2. Your financial means for the divorce;
There is a need for you to consider if you have the appropriate financial resources to fund the legal fees of the route that you want to take for your divorce. Collaborative divorces are likely to cost less financially than contested and non-collaborative divorces. It is useful to seek advice from a Specialist Divorce Lawyer to assess the legal complexities in your case for you to set aside the appropriate budget for your divorce. After you understand the complexities of your case, you will be in a better position to look for a lawyer who could potentially deliver a result that you want, taking into account the complexity of the case, within your budget.
3. Look for a Specialist Divorce Lawyer;
The internet is useful to find out more about your prospective matrimonial lawyers. Their websites should tell you about their values, areas of expertise within the Family law spectrum, training and background.
Clients undergoing divorce are more at ease when their lawyer is specialised in the area of family law. The fact that a lawyer is specialised in family law means that they are well-versed in that area, can better advise you on your legal options, could better secure the outcome that you want to achieve, and have more experience dealing with high-conflict divorces between parties if the situation arises.
4. Make a list of questions for lawyers before you approach and talk to them at law firms
Different lawyers are likely to have different perspectives and strategies for your case. It is useful to consider these perspectives and follow the advice of a divorce lawyer whose approach you prefer. To better facilitate considering their advice, first make a list of questions that you want to ask the lawyers when you visit their firm and take note of their responses to your questions so that you can consider their input after you have spoken to them.
We understand that it may be difficult to navigate and decide what results you want from your divorce and the lawyer to hire to go about achieving that result, especially in these trying times.
Contact a Specialist Divorce Lawyer to analyse your case to give you a better understanding on the complexities, and to advise you on results you could potentially attain from your divorce, before you start to make important decisions.
