How a Divorce Consultant Can Help You
March 3, 2008 at 2:38 pm 3 comments
HOW A DIVORCE CONSULTANT CAN
HELP YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS
Managing a divorce truly is a process. However, you may not know what this process is, how to proceed, and how to process information and counsel along the way to make better decisions. After all, you probably did not approach your marriage with the expectation that you might some day require an exit plan.
Many lawyers would agree that the divorce process should be handled like a business transaction. Yet, it is difficult during this ‘transaction’ to separate out your emotions which are probably at high tide from the important decisions that will affect you and your children for many years to come. It can also be difficult to get the divorce process started or to know how to choose a lawyer, assess if your lawyer is right for you, select other experts such as accountants, therapists and parenting experts, work cost effectively with legal counsel, and ensure you put your children’s best interests first. All of these are areas where a divorce consultant can be very helpful to you.
The role of a divorce consultant is to help you navigate the divorce process so that you can better focus on what needs to be done while also reducing the complexity and costs of divorce. The goal is to assist you in making decisions with confidence by providing the research and education you need to work more effectively with your divorce team.
A divorce consultant is not a substitute for the important roles of lawyer or therapist. However, a divorce consultant can play a vital role in the divorce process. This includes helping people to understand what to expect, providing a basic knowledge of the dispute resolutions, and ultimately to be better prepared and more confident. Working with a divorce consultant is short term and usually consists of one to three sessions.
Some of the specific objectives of a
Divorce Consultant are to help you:
- understand the divorce dispute resolutions available
- interview and choose the right divorce lawyer
- ask the right questions of legal counsel and experts
- know what financial and background information to bring to your lawyer
- organize and manage your divorce file
- assess what experts you might want to add to your divorce team
- access referrals to lawyers, therapists, mediators, accountants and financial experts, organizations, literature
- understand the emotional turmoil
Understanding Dispute Resolutions
There are alternatives to court that you need to be aware of and to consider when looking for legal counsel. Having a basic understanding of what these options are will assist you in choosing the right process and the right lawyer for you. A divorce consultant can help you to better understand and sort through the various alternative dispute resolutions such as negotiation, mediation, arbitration and Collaborative Practice.
This is one of the most important decisions you will make in your divorce. You need to make the time and effort to find the right person for you. A divorce consultant can help you to understand the consultation process and can provide guidance and referrals to assist you with your search.
Entry filed under: divorce, divorce consultant, emotional divorce, legal divorce, smart divorce. Tags: .
1.
Ann Marie | March 3, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Finding a divorce consultant and the right attorney for you is very important as you said because it pertains to some very important issues and decisions to be made that not only greatly effect you but also you’re family and children if you have any. I work for http://www.firstwivesworld.com, it is an online community for women navigating through the various stages of divorce and life thereafter. March is our “Legal Eagles” month, we are aware of how important this topic is so we are focusing our efforts on the support of our members and guests in all things legal involved in the divorce process. Check it out at
http://www.firstwivesworld.com
Our expert Susan Moss also did a segment on the Debbie Does Divorce show about who to find the “Right Attorney For You” check out the video at
http://www.firstwivesworld.com/resource/debbie-does-divorce?page=3
I hope you find that in addition helpful
Ann Marie
2.
Banard Stein | October 27, 2009 at 2:40 pm
But how do you find a good lawyer? Are sites like checkedoutlawyers.com any good? Any insight?
3.
The Smart Divorce | November 1, 2009 at 5:38 pm
There are many ways to find a good lawyer. The website you mention is a good way to start. There are other websites as well, and you may find them on my website at http://www.thesmartdivorce.com. In addition, you could ask other lawyers or professionals who have regular contact with matrimonial lawyers for a referral; others who have gone through divorce can direct you to the lawyers they used. Also ask these people who represented their former spouses, and who they thought was the better lawyer. Once you find a few lawyers who you would like to consider, set up a meeting for a consultation, and then evaluate who you would like to retain. There is significant detail about the consultation process and the information to ask in my book, The Smart Divorce: Proven Strategies and Valuable Advice from 100 Top Divorce Lawyers, Financial Advisers, Counselors and Other Experts, available where ever books are sold, on amazon.com, amazon.ca and many other sites.