Good Divorce Lawyers: Part 3
On December 2, 2014, the Huffington Post published an article by Christina Pesoli called “Hey, Divorce Lawyers: You’re About to Get Fired!” Although the article was directed to lawyers, it could easily be used by clients used as criteria for the kind of lawyer you should want. Here is part 3 of my take on this article.
Your lawyer should not berate you if you miss a deadline.
It can be very frustrating for those not used to the legal system to see how court dates and various deadlines routinely get moved around. Sometimes this even happens at the last minute. Your attorney should always explain why a date got changed as promptly as possible.
But there are not only court deadlines in a case. Clients are also asked to provide information, for example, the answers to discovery requests. Sometimes life gets in the way, and it is almost impossible to meet a deadline to produce information. If your attorney treats you like you are a failure because you missed a deadline and drones on “about how [your] irresponsible behavior is jeopardizing the outcome of [your] case,” then you may want to reconsider working with that attorney. Yes, deadlines should be respected, but berating you is not going to help the situation. Instead, asking for information as early as possible so that clients can work the request into their schedule and planning for follow-up status checks is the best way to go.
Your lawyer should not treat you like you’re crazy or you’re boring her.
Getting a divorce can be a crazy time that can drive you a bit out of your mind. Sometimes you will wake up at 2:00 in the morning and feel the need to write long e-mails; you may have public meltdowns. If your attorney treats you like you are crazy because you have that need, then they may not be the right attorney for you.
My job is to be sympathetic and supportive; that is part of what you pay me for. I also, when possible, offer suggestions on how to deal with difficult spouses in a way that will not hurt your legal case. But, overall, I know that you are human, and sometimes, humans don’t act in the most legally-practical manner. No lawyer should berate you because you are ruining their “perfect case.” There is no such thing as a perfect case, just people trying to do the best they can in a difficult situation.
I take pride in offering high-quality service at reasonable prices. Please call my office at 682-234-2006 to schedule your free initial consultation.