A divorce lawyer is a trained professional who has studied family and divorce law. With the number of divorces skyrocketing, coupled up with the civilization of this era, divorce lawyers are becoming more and more sort after by couples who seek to separate or annul their marriages amicably. Since the process of divorce can be very emotionally intense, these skilled professionals offer a better alternative to involving a family member or a friend as a third party.
What to look for when hiring a divorce lawyer
A divorce lawyer is required to have a minimum of a law degree from a recognized college or university. This is to mean that there are divorce lawyers that have furthered their education to a masters in family and divorce law. Furthermore, for a divorce lawyer to be fully qualified, they must possess vital qualities such as honesty, professionalism, availability, composure, and experience, to mention but a few. Since we can all agree that the emotional stress that comes with the termination of a relationship can be overwhelming, it goes without saying that emotional maturity is expected of the divorce lawyer.
Divorce lawyers have a number of responsibilities. First and foremost, they offer pretty counseling to their clients, explaining to them fully all the technicalities surrounding the process.
One of the biggest responsibilities of divorce lawyers is ensuring that their client’s best interests are met during the division of assets and liabilities. In matters concerning the distribution of marital assets, it is of great importance that the divorce lawyer distinguishes all earnings and properties acquired by both the spouses from all those that are individually owned by each spouse. The community earnings and property – those acquired by both of them during the period of their marriage, are generally divided equitably between the two spouses.
Where children are involved, division of earnings and property plays out differently as there are many more crucial factors to take into consideration. Here, the divorce lawyer is required to conduct ample research, gather evidence, draft paperwork and fill all the legal documents concerning the assets and liabilities with the court. After they have sifted through all the information, they are able to tell whether or not their client can be a capable primary caregiver. The primary caregiver may get a bigger ratio of the assets so as to cater for the upkeep of the children. Or alternatively, the other spouse may be required to pay child support.
There are couples that, however, prefer to sign a prenuptial agreement due to various reasons. A prenuptial agreement also is known as a premarital or antenuptial agreement is a contract containing property and financial rights of two people before they marry. It normally stipulated the terms of division property and spousal support in case of any eventualities such as divorce. Since they are legally binding, divorce lawyers can use them when representing their client’s interests in court.
In conclusion, divorce lawyers are becoming a crucial element in this modern world where divorces have become rampant. Furthermore, as simple as a family may sound at times, its dynamics can turn out to be so delicately complex during hard times of separation. And at that moment, the sobriety of a professional offers comfort
