Even if most couples recite the lines “till death do us part” as part of their wedding vows, some of them might not get to fulfill the said promise. Sometimes, the differences between the couple are irreconcilable that their only solution is divorce. All other matters related to this decision can place unwanted stress on you, which is where a family law attorney in Adelaide can come in handy.
How can a lawyer make your divorce less stressful?
- They can help you more easily understand the legalese surrounding divorce law.
Unless you’ve done extensive reading on divorce law all by yourself beforehand, chances are you might not be familiar as to what alimony is or how to determine what kind of custody is in the best interest of your child (or children) with your former spouse.
When you hire a family lawyer to walk you through your divorce, you won’t need to burden yourself with studying legal jargon that you’ll only encounter hopefully once in your lifetime.
- They can help you submit the necessary paperwork for your divorce.
You don’t tell your former spouse that you’ll divorce them and leave it at that. For it to become valid in the eyes of the law, you’ll need to submit all legal documents related to your divorce such as:
- Prenuptial agreement
- Income tax returns
- Pension or retirement account statements if both you and your former spouse are of old age
- Financial statements
- Real estate property appraisal documents
- All other relevant papers that the family lawyer will ask from you
- They can guarantee you an amicable settlement between you and your former spouse.
Your first thought after filing divorce against your ex might be to bring your differences to court where a judge and jury can decide on them. However, most divorce proceedings occurring in courtrooms are typically messy and unpredictable. You may even lose your case, especially if you opted to represent yourself in court.
When you hire a family lawyer, they’ll see to it that you and your former spouse will arrive at an amicable settlement out of court first so that both of you won’t have to fling each other’s dirty laundry inside the confines of a courthouse. They’ll then consider letting a court hear your divorce only if either you or your ex find it challenging to settle anything without undergoing trial.
- They’ll calm you down if your temper suddenly flares up upon seeing your former spouse.
The circumstances that led to your decision of divorce might have been quite unsavory that seeing them makes your blood boil, which may lead to aggressive behaviors such as attacking them.
Your lawyer will help you relax and let your anger against your former partner subside until you start regaining your rational self, which you’ll need throughout your entire divorce proceedings. You can’t afford to face verbal abuse and harassment charges from your ex and give your attorney more work to do than the usual.
- They can speak on your behalf if you aren’t ready to talk to your former spouse yet.
A different reaction to a stressful event such as divorce that you might exhibit while trying to settle the division of marital property, child visitation rights, and other matters related to it is when you start to clam up after seeing your spouse during an out of court settlement or while your case is under trial.
However, if you meet with a family lawyer before your divorce proceedings, they’ll talk to you in a friendly manner until they successfully gain your trust. You can then share to them what you hope to get out of your divorce without fearing that your former spouse might get back at you. Remember that any information you divulge to your family lawyer is only between you and them as part of the attorney-client privilege.
You can even let your family lawyer speak on your behalf at any point during your out of court settlement or courtroom divorce proceedings, especially if you feel that you might say something unpleasant against your former spouse that you don’t want anyone else to hear.
Conclusion
Despite roughly 50,000 divorces granted in Australia as of 2017, the said action is never an easy decision for anyone regardless if they pursue it while they’re still young or well into their fifties. Divorce can turn into a stressor that can adversely affect your overall health and outlook in life. It doesn’t have to be that way, though, as you can make your divorce less stressful by hiring a lawyer to help you with the process and all other matters concerning it.
