Family law is often considered to be one of the most personal and challenging areas of law for clients due to the intimate nature of the issues it addresses. With tensions and emotions running high, it can be easy for both sides to lose their cool as alimony, child support, divorce and other sensitive topics are litigated. Thanks to the fantastic staff in our family law department, we have created a list of the top 7 tips for people navigating a family law case.
- Provide all documents requested from the start. This is the best way to ensure that your case moves along as smoothly and quickly as possible. If you anticipate a delay in getting any documents requested by your attorney, let them know right away so they can work on getting an extension of time granted on your behalf.
- Check your emails often for any communications from us or the court. If you receive any communications from the court, send it to us right away. Checking your emails is imperative to the progression and outcome of your case. If opposing counsel (or we) request documents, there is a hearing in which your attendance is required, or if any type of judgment is entered against you, we will notify you by email first. Then, we’ll follow up with a phone call. The sooner you catch these emails, the faster you can work on getting any necessary documents back to us or notify us that you’ll need a hearing/proceeding to be rescheduled.
- Make the most of your time with your attorney and organize the questions that you have and write them down so that you can ask them all at once (whether on the phone or by email). We recommend this because we are taking your billing and budget into consideration. Email is our preferred method of communicating, so it is ideal for you to compile all of your questions into one email (or phone call) as it is not only more organized but there is a much lower bill associated with our staff answering 1 email as opposed to an email inquiry any time that you have a question.
- Be truthful from the start. Don’t spring any surprises up on your attorney mid-case or, even worse, in the middle of a deposition/hearing. This can be very detrimental to your standing in the case as the court is likely to look at the situation as if you’re trying to hide or omit information that can be used to determine the child support or alimony amount.
- Consider mediation and settlement and try to be amicable – remember this was once your family, and in many cases, we are still fighting for the best interests of your children. Consider mediation to save both sides costs accrued by an extensive legal battle whenever possible. These same funds can be used to help out your loved ones or be paid towards the awarded amount of child support or alimony.
- Whenever communicating with the other parent make sure you’re respectful – again, most times, kids are in the middle of everything. Try to remain amicable, and always wear the white hat when speaking to the other parent or other party. Children are impressionable and the way a situation like this is handled will affect their development in the long run. Also, proceedings generally go smoother when both sides are at least respectful to one another ensuring a speedy turnaround.
- Treat every communication as if the court is going to read it one day. This includes text messages, emails, notes on paper, etc. You never know what will be included in an opposing counsel’s discovery request and you don’t want to try to hide anything or say something that will come back to haunt you!
Whether you’re going through a divorce with assets, establishing paternity, trying to get child support, or anything else, you’ll notice that many of these tips are universal in nature. We trust that these tips will help you navigate your family law case in a smooth, calm, and cost-effective manner. Please make sure to follow our blog, as well as our other social media sites (using the handle @BorellLawOffices) as we will be posting helpful articles and/or videos every day. If you have any questions related to a family law case, please feel free to call us today at 305-514-0500.
