What Should Your Divorce Lawyer Be Doing?

Divorce is not all flowery as TV dramas make it seem. In fact, a divorce can reshape your life forever, something which you obviously didn’t see coming when you were getting married. Moreover, it is a situation that is filled with much confusion and emotions, something that can easily cloud your judgment. That is why it is imperative to seek the services of experienced Forth Worth divorce attorneys in case you find yourself in such a situation.

However, you must always make sure that the attorney in charge is working in the best of your interest. In that case, it is essential to know what a divorce lawyer should be doing and at what time. For instance, your divorce lawyer should be doing the following:

Plan for the case

You should expect your lawyer to brief you on what will follow up next immediately after your first meeting. That way, you’ll at least know that he has a road plan for the case. In the process, you should expect him to ask for all your financial documents, including documents that prove the existence of a joint account or joint credit card. In other words, a reasonable divorce attorney should demonstrate a plan of having your case ready for trial within six months.

Bring in experts if necessary

Your lawyer has to determine if he’ll need experts in the case or not. For instance, if either of the spouses has a business that was started in the time of their marriage, you may need a business appraiser who can accurately estimate the actual value of that business. If the matrimonial wealth is in the form of properties, then you might also need an auditor to get the actual value.

Show willingness and readiness to negotiate

The faster the divorce process, the less dramatic it can be and hence save you time and emotional torture. Your lawyer must show availability and willingness to enter into a round negotiation table with your spouse’s lawyer. The negotiation may not be necessarily for getting you people together but for crafting something that will correctly work out without any party feeling disadvantaged.

Prepare witnesses if it is a trial case

There is a very high probability that your case will move to court hearing and proceedings, especially if a matrimonial property or child custody is involved. In that case, your lawyer should be preparing to win. A lawyer prepares to win by bringing forth key witnesses whose statements will corroborate yours to prove that your allegations are valid. In that case, it is also your responsibility to point out on the possible material witnesses who may include people who live with you in the house or even relatives. As for children, most jurisdictions may not allow them to testify, especially if they are underage, because they still don’t understand the consequences of lying under oath.