Deciding which  you should have represent you in your family law case is an extremely important decision and one that can be the difference between getting a fair result or a poor one.  Here are some criteria that will allow you to improve your chances of hiring the best attorney for your case.

Experience and State Bar Board Certification

There is no substitute for experience when it comes to divorce attorneys and you should only consider hiring an attorney who is very experienced in the field of family law.  Frequently people will hire a general practitioner, thinking that divorce cases are routine and uncomplicated and that any lawyer will do.  This kind of thought is a major error.  Ideally, you want a lawyer who is board certified in family law by the State Bar.  This is a certification held by attorneys who have, by experience and knowledge, established that they are worthy of acknowledgment as experts in the area of family law.  In most states this is an highly difficult certification for a lawyer to obtain.

Satisfied Previous Clients

The best way to decide which lawyer is right for you is to hear from that lawyer’s past divorce clients. If you know someone who has been a client of a particular lawyer they can tell you what it was like to be represented by that attorney.  The fact is that some attorneys are simply better at satisfying their clients than others and the only certain way to find this out is to hear from previous clients.

A Plan for Handling Your Case

It is usually an error in a family law case for a lawyer to apply a “one-size-fits-all” approach.  In other words, some lawyers use the exact same approach on every single case, disregarding the facts or nuances of your particular situation.  This is generally a mistake.  What you want is a lawyer who, at the outset of the case, creates a personalized plan for how your case will be handled.  You wouldn’t use a shotgun if you were trying to kill a mosquito and you wouldn’t use a flyswatter if you were trying to kill a bear.  You would use the best tool for the given situation.  Your case should be handled in this same way.

Are You Comfortable with the Attorney?

Last but not least, you should be comfortable with and have a good relationship with the attorney.  If for any reason you sense that you cannot communicate effectively with the attorney, then this is not the right lawyer for you and you should keep looking until you encounter the right attorny for your situation.  It is of the utmost importance that you employ an attorney that inspires your confidence and that you are certain will keep your best interest at heart.

A definition of terms commonly associated with divorce and family law in the UK.

Affidavit – a formal statement made under oath in court.

Ancillary Relief – financial orders that a court can make in addition to a petition for divorce.  Applying to England and Wales, ancillary relief is a financial claim brought by a spouse through the courts when petitioning for divorce.

CAFCASS – Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Services.  A meeting with a CAFCASS officer will be arranged if an application to the court is made for any order affecting a child, such as contact or residence.

Civil Partnership – the Civil Partnership Act 2004 means that same sex couples may now register their partnership and acquire rights and responsibilities similar to those of a married couple.

Clean Break – a one off order that outlines financial arrangements between a husband and wife.  There can be no subsequent claim for maintenance even if circumstances change.

Conciliation – a type of mediation that takes place in court and helps couples to sort out arrangements for their children.

Contact – the arrangement for a child or children to visit the parent who no longer lives with them after the divorce has taken place.  Contact can also refer to indirect contact such as phone calls and letters.

Cross-petition – a situation where the arguments put forward as grounds for divorce differ between the Petitioner and the Respondent.

Decree Absolute – Follows the decree nisi and is the final order issued by the court bringing a marriage to an end.

Decree Nisi – a provisional order issued by the court.  The decree nisi is the first stage of the divorce and shows that the court is satisfied that the grounds for the divorce have been established.

Disclosure – the process of providing to the court full financial details about a person’s income, assets and liabilities.

Injunction – a court requiring or preventing a person from taking an action.  Penalties are generally set in place for people not abiding by the order.

Joint Tenancy – a form of shared ownership of a home or other property.  When two or more people own a property as joint tenants and one owner dies the other owner automatically takes ownership of the deceased owners share.

Maintenance – the money one spouse pays to the other for ongoing financial support.

Mediation – a process in which an impartial third person assists those involved in a divorce to reach an amicable agreement.

Occupation Order – a court order confirming or denying an individual’s right to occupy a property.  The occupation order can exclude a spouse from a home or a certain part of it.

Pension Sharing – the division of a pension fund between two spouses.

Petition – a document outlining a request for a divorce.

Petitioner – a person who initiates divorce proceedings by filing a divorce petition at court.

Premarital Agreement – a formal written agreement entered into by a couple before marriage setting out how assets will be split in the event of divorce.  Also known as a prenuptial agreement.

Residence Order – a court order that states where and with whom a child will live after the divorce of their parents.

Separation Agreement – a written agreement set out by a couple recording the financial agreement that they have reached.  A separation agreement will normally be upheld by a court but it may be set aside if there has been a significant change in one party’s circumstances.

Statement of Arrangements for Children – sets out proposed arrangements for children after the divorce.  The form is sent to the court along with the divorce petition.

Without Prejudice – a way of preventing the court from knowing about any prior negotiations between a divorcing couple that did not result in an agreement.

If you live in South Carolina and you are going through a divorce you need to hire an experienced divorce attorney because you will need legal advice. Hiring an experienced and dedicated attorney is the best option if you are looking at paying alimony, fighting for child custody, and much more. There are five grounds for divorce in this state, as well as jurisdictional and venue requirements.

When you hire a family law attorney for a child custody issue you are making a good decision. There are multiple factors that courts look at when considering custody which an attorney can help you with. The court process can be very stressful on children as well as the parties. When you use a professional staff experienced with divorce they can help you understand the court process and advise you of your rights throughout the entire process.

When you are going through a divorce you may have problems with mediation and agreeing to certain things in the divorce like the amount of money you have to pay or should receive for alimony and child support. You might feel you deserve custody also. Mediation is when you will sit with a court appointed professional staff that will try and make the both of you come to agreements about the divorce. Mediation is required in many South Carolina counties in divorce, child custody cases, alimony and property division, as well and other states around the nation. An attorney can help you work through agreements and possibly bypass the mediation process in the courts. Alternately if you hire an attorney who also a certified mediator, you get the benefits of both legal advise and/or mediation services, depending on your needs.

Hiring a family law attorney can help you come to agreements with your spouse during the divorce process. You do not want to fight and be bitter through the process because it can cause you to lose rights. However, if one of the parties is impossible to work with then the judge may recognize this. An attorney can help make the process more fair when it comes to alimony payments and if you even have to pay anything, child support and visitation and more.

Consulting with an experienced attorney when you are going through a divorce, legal separation, child custody, child support, adoption, alimony or property division in South Carolina is the best option you can chose. You need to consider a family law attorney because the entire process can be too stressful to endure on your own and you may lose valuable grounds by waiting. The consultation allows you to gather sufficient information to protect your family and find out your rights. Finding an experienced and dedicated attorney will help you ensure the outcome is fair and at the best interest of the child. An attorney can help you calculate alimony payments if you should have to pay them, get the most time in visitation or even full custody, and help with mediation. You need a professional staff to work with you through the entire process. It can even help to speed up the entire process by coming to agreements with the other party.