In the previous article, we discussed the first four reasons that you should have a divorce lawyer on your side:
In this article, we will continue with four more reasons it is important to have an effective and experienced family law attorney on your side when working through the divorce process.
1. Divorce Agreement that is Clear, Binding and Enforceable
You do not want to work your way through the entire divorce process only to go to family law court and have your agreement not be approved because of mistakes or omissions. Even worse, is having the agreement approved only to find out that there is something that needs to be changed, which (see below) is not easy. With an experienced divorce lawyer protecting your interests you can be confident that the divorce agreement produced will be accepted by the family law court. You can also count on a divorce agreement that protects your interests both now and into the foreseeable future. There are times when life changes require that an agreement be modified, but you do not want to have to go through the difficult and expensive modification process because you simply made an error.
2. Understand Your Rights
Every divorce is unique as every set of divorcing spouses has a unique financial situation, a unique relationship with their children, and ideas about what an ideal outcome is. When you talk to someone else who has gotten divorced, their situation could be completely different. Every day we talk to people who are 100% sure about how something is going to work out…be that a custody arrangement, a financial arrangement a divorce timeline or how often they will see their kids. All due respect to each and every one of our clients, but they come in with misinformation that is affecting the way that they approach their divorce. Our job is to clarify their situation, help them understand how the law applies to them and give them options for moving forward. If you have not talked to an attorney, do not take anything for granted. Every divorce is unique. Come in and talk to the experienced divorce attorneys at The Law Offices of Michael L. Maguire & Associates so we can build a strategy and pursue the best path for you and your children.
3. Help Both Parents Maintain a Role in their Children’s lives
Along with financial issues, how the custody arrangement will be handled is often the most contentious detail to settle in a divorce. There are extremely rare cases (where abusive behavior or extensive and documented issues with chemical / substance abuse are involved) where the California family law court will limit or prohibit one parent from seeing the children. However, in almost all custody arrangements parents are expected to work with each other. You will need to agree to and honor your child custody agreement with your ex-spouse. The California family law courts will look to protect the best interest of the child in custody arrangements. Having parents who fight or purposely violate the custody agreement is not in anyone’s best interest. An experienced child custody attorney will help you protect your parental rights, and also can help you hold your ex-spouse accountable if they are not honoring the custody agreement.
4. Correcting Mistakes from a Divorce Decree is Difficult
Divorce modifications are necessary at times. If the custody agreement isn’t working, or someone’s employment situation changes, the divorce agreement may need to change as well. However, there is not an easy or quick process to fix minor omissions or mistakes. When you have a divorce agreement that was not prepared by an experienced lawyer, costly mistakes are much more likely.
If you are facing a divorce, having a lawyer on your side protects your interest and ensures that you and your family reach the best possible outcome. For questions about the divorce process in California, or to get started working with the Beverly Hills divorce lawyers at The Law Offices of Michael L. Maguire & Associates contact us today.