4 Ways to Find The Right Lawyer for You When Pursuing Custody

When your child is in the midst of a legal dispute, you may feel anxious and at a loss over who to turn to. There are many attorneys out there, but how do you know which ones are safe and effective?

Finding the right lawyer can help you to feel more confident and safer during the emotional process. Here are 4 ways to find the right lawyer for you:

1. Learn About Child Custody

Before contacting a lawyer, you should be informed about your state's child custody laws. Laws vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and while they may be similar across the United States, you need to confirm that they agree with the laws in place in your particular state. You can do this by talking to an attorney who specializes in the area of child custody law.

A good child custody lawyer can help you determine what will work best for you and your child based on the situation. Usually, there are three ways to obtain custody of a child: sole custody, shared parental responsibility, and joint legal custody. Other factors to consider include the child's age, the step-parent's involvement, and mental health.

2. Ask Friends and Family for Referrals

Many people have received a bad name because they recommended lawyers to family members, friends, or acquaintances. Some parents may want to hire a lawyer who is a friend or family member. 

While this is entirely understandable, you must evaluate the qualifications and character of the potential lawyer before this route.

3. Ask Specific Questions

When you talk to an attorney, you must ask them specific questions. Many people don't do this when they are in a time of crisis, but you need to understand the following information before making a decision:

• The lawyer's experience with your specific type of case.
• The time frame they are working in. For example, if they have another case that ends before yours, this could affect their performance on your case.
• Their fees and payment terms.
• How they handle your case. There should be little to no confusion over who is in charge of the situation, and they should be able to give you clear explanations of the process.

4. Check Online Reviews

If you are looking for a lawyer online, check their online reviews. Reviews can range from negative to extremely positive, but you must take time to read the ones that concern your specific case. This will allow you to gauge the attorney's performance and what they have said about their services or any complaints from past clients.

While many people can find the right lawyer for them after a few tries, it can be a nerve-wracking and upsetting experience. You should feel confident in the process by finding a lawyer who knows the proper ways to work through the process and they are well-qualified to handle your particular situation.

Family Law Mediation Can Impact Your Finances

There is nothing good about dealing with a divorce. Divorce is rated as one of the most stressful processes one can face. This is because the divorce process brings much emotional turmoil and financial implications and tears families apart. 

However, during this hard process, family law mediation can alleviate your stress and give you a slightly simpler time as you make your life decisions after your divorce.

Such decisions include how to share your assets, support payments, and child custody. Family law mediation can impact your finances a great deal. Luckily, the impacts of family law on your finances are mostly positive. Here are some of how family law can impact your finances.

What Family Law Mediation Means

When a couple is involved in a divorce, things can quickly escalate and lead to disagreements, particularly with the more sensitive matters such as financial assets and child support. That is where meditation comes in handy. 

With the help of a professional, impartial mediator, the divorced couple converse and come up with an agreeable solution that will work for them both. Mediations are usually physical meetings and can only take part if both parties are on good terms and cannot harm one another.

How Family Law Mediation Can Impact Your Finances
Cost-Effective

As compared to other settlement measures available for divorced couples, family law mediation is one of the most pocket-friendly costs. 

This is because you only have to pay your mediator as compared to settlements whereby the divorcing parties have to pay both of their lawyers. 

Quicker Pace

Since your sessions with your mediator are personal and private, you can take them at your desired pace. You can slow down your mediator when you feel they are moving too quickly or hasten them up whenever they lag behind. 

You have power over your mediation sessions, and you can ensure you take the most minimum time possible. Therefore, doing this will go a long way in helping you cut costs and save you a lot of money.

Save on Legal Fees

Presenting your divorce case in court is not free. There are several legal fees you may be required to pay before the court decides your settlement case. Using family law mediation services will help you to cut down on these costs as you focus on resolving the contention at hand.

Allows You Time to Work

Since family law mediation moves at your pace, you do not have to put a standstill to your daily duties and routines. Instead, you can continue working and, in turn, get paid while you make plans for mediation with your professional mediator.

Negative Impact

If you are looking for a solution that will not cost you even a dime, mediation is not your go-to option. This is because you will have to pay your family law mediator for the services they have offered to you. But that should not be a big deal if you put this negative side by side with all the positives.

The Best Option

The whole divorce process can be rather confusing. It gets particularly harder when you are not fully equipped with the options you can use to settle all the crucial matters. However, by hiring an attorney for family mediation, you will make matters much easier.

It is the best option that you can employ while dealing with the issues surrounding divorce cases. An attorney for family mediation can be your mediator if they are trained, and if they are not, they may be able to recommend a good mediator to help you with your divorce troubles.

Cost Effective Legal Advice for Families

Whether you are dealing with the breakdown of a relationship and would like to make sure that your children and yourself are well provided for in the future or you would like to make a cohabitation agreement with your partner to ensure that shared property does not become an issue in the future, there are solicitors around the country that can help to resolve your legal problems. However, not all of them charge the same or provide the same level of service when it comes to family law so it is a good idea to take your time and to shop around before hiring a solicitor to represent your interests. 

The following points may help you to get the most for your money when hiring a legal professional who specialises in the law as it pertains to families.

• Insist on an initial consultation, either by phone or in person, before making any financial commitment to the process. Any solicitor that is worth doing business with will be more than happy to offer basic advice on your case before they start charging for their time. If you come across a firm that is not willing to do so, simply move on to the next one in your shortlist. The world of legal advice is a competitive one and there is no point in wasting time on companies that are unwilling to recognise this fact and adjust their business model accordingly.
• Only deal with solicitors and legal firms that are members of Resolution. Resolution is an organisation of 6,500 family legal professionals and their membership is committed to helping clients resolve family legal disputes in a non-confrontational manner. This makes member firms and individuals a good choice for people who wish to keep their legal costs to a minimum as they can rely on these legal professionals to help them avoid costly court appearances whenever possible.
• Pick a firm that offers a comprehensive range of services. If you deal with a company that can handle all of your legal problems, it will make it much easier to keep a close eye on your overall costs and ensure that they do not start to get out of control. Firms such as GT Stewart Solicitors, which deal with divorce, domestic abuse, child custody and many other aspects of family law, are able to look after all the needs of people who wish to extricate themselves from a failing relationship and can provide a single point of contact that makes life simpler for those who already have plenty to deal with on a daily basis.
• Choose an organisation that is happy to accept publicly funded clients. If a firm of solicitors does not declare its willingness to deal with people in receipt of legal aid and its commitment to providing them with the same levels of service as privately funded clients, they may not be your best choice. Some firms are keener than others to help people that need their assistance but cannot pay for it themselves and in my experience, the ones that really want to will advertise this fact on their website and in their promotional literature.
• Following on from the above point, always take the time to find out what, if any, legal aid you are entitled to before you hire a solicitor. There are plenty of advice bureaus across the country staffed by volunteers who can help you to discover exactly what you are entitled to so it will not cost any money to establish your position. To check if you can get legal aid, you can complete an online questionnaire that will give you a good idea of your chances of receiving financial help. Any help that you can get will of course reduce your costs so be sure to investigate your options fully before you start any legal proceedings.

Conclusion
The reasons that people need to consult with lawyers who specialise in family law are not usually happy ones but it would be foolish to make a bad situation worse by failing to exercise due diligence when choosing a legal representative. Make sure that you get value for money by being selective about the types of firms and individual solicitors that you are prepared to hire.

About the Author:

GT Stewart in London is a law firm that provides legal advice and representation for various cases. Know how to arrange for GT Stewart solicitors by visiting gtstewart.co.uk.