So you’ve decided to pursue your family law case – be it divorce, custody or support matters or adoption. At this stage you have likely spoken with several lawyers and may even scheduled your initial consultation appointment with one. Consultations meetings allow you to inform the attorney a bit about what your legal issues are; in exchange the lawyer provides suggestions and advice. Family law consultations usually cost money. You want to be as prepared as possible but are uncertain which items to bring or what’s expected during one. K J Smith Solicitors offers a family solicitors in Ascot, tailored to meeting the individual requirements of its clients. Here you’ll find someone you can talk through your concerns with as well as someone knowledgeable to represent them.
Here are our tips to reduce stress and ensure the most favorable result in family law disputes.
Start as you mean to go on
Dissolution of relationships can be an emotionally distressful experience for all involved. Seek legal advice as soon as possible so you can focus on finding solutions instead of being consumed by anger and taking impulsive action based on emotion alone. By starting the process in this manner, perhaps this will ensure a swifter resolution to your case.
Be open and honest
Your interactions and dealings must always be honest and transparent, otherwise the costs, anger and long-standing disagreements that result can only worsen over time. All will eventually come out; depending on your circumstances you could end up worse off while having to absorb some of their expenses as well.
Be respectful of all involved
Respect is difficult when someone has wronged you, yet acting harshly or forcingfully won’t prompt a settlement from your partner. Retribution can lead to further self-destruction; and, if children are involved, an estranged relationship could create an extremely challenging co-parenting scenario.
Consider long term and short term
Certain of your long-term and short-term goals might overlap, but typically what is needed now might not help in the near future. Many aren’t worried about retirement savings now, but when the time comes it could become their primary source of revenue. Also, what you do for children today won’t affect them in later years – when taking both perspectives into account it will lead to results that work now as well as later.
Put the children first
In any situation where children are involved, their safety should always come first when making decisions. Children tend to be the ones most affected by family breakdown and will carry with them memories that last a lifetime. The Court considers their safety a top priority when they’re involved – so should you.
Pick your battles
Solving issues both large and minor is your best opportunity for coming to an agreement, or else they could spiral into expensive and stress-inducing court proceedings. Be wary of engaging in fights over trivialities like who will get what part of their husband’s pension; debating about an incident where your child was handed off five minutes late when trying to gain the right to contact them overnight should also be carefully considered as this can focus efforts and legal fees accordingly.
Look forward not back
Forward, not back keep an eye on when the case will end so that you can move forward successfully. Focusing your case solely on identifying wrongs that occurred in the past and assigning blame can impede your ability to negotiate successfully. Estimating contact hours owed over two years or providing bank statements detailing who purchased what percentage of food items will not help your cause – rather, focus on working towards the outcome you would like instead of trying to blame an ex-partner for past acts.
Consider settlements
When receiving an agreement to compromise, it’s important to give it careful thought before accepting or declining it. Many offers received may seem unacceptable at first; focus on what positive aspects there may be before considering your options carefully. A hasty rejection could exacerbate tensions; accepting offers without reflection could leave you worse off than before – don’t rule them out as most offer time frames that you must abide by!
Consider all the options
Do not be intimidated to think creatively; we are always available to assist you in exploring all available options, which may range from waiting things out or swift action as necessary. There’s no need for letters or court applications – the process of considering all options will help guide your decisions towards what’s in the best interests of yourself and your family.
Family Law Tips for People Going Through Divorce
By following these family law tips, you will ease the strain on all members of your household.
Commit to Cooperation
Communicate with your spouse while remembering that both of you are striving to find a path through this difficult situation as smoothly as possible. In order to do that, both of you must accept that collaboration may be required as much as possible – this doesn’t mean giving in to all their demands; just that both must be prepared to compromise as needed.
Look at Divorce as a Legal Process, Not an Emotional One
The court system is there to assist you in dissolving your marriage contract and ensure all parties involved receive an “equal shake.” By approaching divorce as the end of an agreement rather than as an intense fight between partners, negotiations are the best way to quickly (and sometimes amicably) settle this process. Do not let emotions take over when making decisions regarding what you expect out of this separation agreement.
Don’t Try to Get Even
As tempting as it may be, legal rights shouldn’t be used as an avenue for reconciliation with your partner even when they have committed acts that were absolutely horrific. Doing more than the law allows, disputing over children or creating disputes over issues not really important are all tactics people use when trying to use legal recourse as a form of revenge; unfortunately a judge is likely to catch onto any such attempts and they’re only likely to waste further time and money in doing so.
Keep Your Kids Out of It
Your children need to know that both of you cherish them, and that your affection will never wane. They want you to remain trustworthy and love their other parent as much as they love themselves. Engaging your children in the divorce process may seem like asking them to join one side versus the other; placing your children in this precarious position could prove extremely harmful both to your relationship as well as their mental wellbeing.
Make Time for Yourself and Get Counseling if You Need It
Stressed out? Make time for self-care now more than ever if you want to make the best decisions possible! Without proper self-care practices in place, making the right choices won’t come naturally or easily.