The Case for Having a Good Divorce Lawyer
A guest blog post from Richmond Tymchuk Family Law LLP.
While divorce can be an unpleasant and stressful life event to navigate, having a seasoned divorce lawyer on your side who is a skilled negotiator in complex family law matters can make the process easier. Here are some of the reasons you’ll want to consider working with a family law expert.
- Dealing with the complexity of your finances
What happens when your divorce deals with high-net-worth individuals with complex financial structures in place? If your financial situation is complicated, then you’ll want to make sure you’re dealing with a family lawyer who has the expertise required to understand and strategize the best outcome for you.
Complex financial situations can involve personal and business assets, partnerships between spouses building their wealth and related tax implications, or even grey divorce – the trend of older couples looking to separate. In all of these situations, you will benefit from the additional expertise of a family lawyer who has dealt with complexities like yours before.
- Getting value for money through expertise
When comparing two family lawyers, you might be swayed by a lawyer with a lower hourly rate. However, keep in mind this doesn’t mean they’ll end up being more affordable.
A specialist lawyer can be more efficient and provide you with expert advice based on their experience. A divorce lawyer with years of experience might save you time and money in the long run.
- Minimizing the impact on children
When there are children involved in your divorce, you want to make sure your lawyer has the skills and compassion to help minimize the impact on them. Canadian law provides that the courts must consider the “best interests of the child” when making a parenting order or a contact order. Choose a lawyer who not only specializes in divorce but matters relating to child support, custody, guardianship and parenting orders.
- Factor in mediation-arbitration
If agreement about the divorce can’t be reached, it might be useful to consider arbitration and mediation.
In mediation, a neutral mediator will be appointed to work with both parties to resolve the issues in contention. While a mediator’s recommendations are not legally binding, our experience shows that many clients find this process useful in coming to a resolution. It can also reduce tension and calm a stressful situation.
If a result can’t be found by mediation, the parties may choose to proceed to arbitration. This process is concluded with a legally binding decision which the parties have to abide by. Again, this can be a useful step to consider rather than proceeding straight to ligation which can be more expensive and stressful.
Not all family law firms can accommodate mediation and arbitration, so choosing one that does can benefit you if these processes are needed.
In Short
To experience an easier divorce process, choose a family law firm with skilled negotiators, seasoned professionals and a team that has your family’s best interests at heart.
