While a divorce may never be completely easy, working with a skilled divorce attorney may make the process more bearable. An attorney may help you fill out the mountains of paperwork, handle communication with your spouse and look out for your best interests. However, not all divorce lawyers are created equal. Just because a particular lawyer did a great job for your friend who got divorce, does not mean he or she is the right person to represent you. An experienced divorce lawyer Tampa, FL trusts provides advice on when it may be necessary to hire a different divorce attorney.
Missing Deadlines
In a divorce case, there are several deadlines you have to abide by. If you miss the deadline to submit your financial affidavit, for example, it could delay the entire case. That’s why it’s important to work with a divorce lawyer who is on top of deadlines. If you have given all the necessary documents to your attorney well in advance and he or she fails to submit them on time, it’s bad sign. He or she could be busy with too many other cases or is just extremely disorganized.
Fighting Every Minor Issue
Some divorce lawyers want to fight every miniscule issue in a divorce to run up billable hours. They are willing to do everything to take the case to trial. Prolonging the divorce will just end up costing you more money and increasing your stress. If you have a feeling that your divorce lawyer isn’t willing to take a settlement and makes every little issue into a big deal, it may be time to hire new legal representation.
Not Returning Your Phone Calls
There may be a few times when your divorce lawyer takes longer than a day to return your phone calls. Maybe he or she got extremely busy in the office and just didn’t have the time to call you back immediately. However, if you find that your divorce lawyer fails to return your phone calls all the time, it is a big red flag. It indicates that he or she may be overworked or isn’t making your case a priority. It’s important for you to find a lawyer who can give your case the attention it deserves.
Displaying Unprofessional Behavior
Unfortunately, there are some divorce lawyers who don’t act as professionally as they should. If your lawyer frequently talks to you in a condescending manner and makes you feel uncomfortable, it can make a stressful situation like a divorce even worse. If you lawyer is unprofessional with you, it may be time to hire a different one.
Thank you to our friends and contributors at The McKinney Law Group for their insight into therapy for divorce and family law.
