The perfect client
The perfect client Written by C. Sean Stephens What a lawyer thinks of as a ?perfect client? in the domestic relations sense is a client who helps the process of the dissolution, custody, or support matter along. We know how hard this process is to be going through, but it can be a much more difficult process the longer it drags on ? and a much more expensive one for you. (Although we like getting paid as much as anyone else, we believe we should be problem-solvers, not problem-creators.)
Good attorneys will always treat their clients ? all of their clients ? with the same professionalism and respect they treat any other client. However, by helping us help you, you can make the process smoother, lower your costs, and get a better result! Here are some things you can do to help your attorney in your domestic relations case, to make things run more smoothly.
Tell us everything ? the good, the bad, the ugly. We want to know the nastiest things the other side might throw at us, true or not. If you have hidden sources of income, a stake in Anna Nicole Smith?s love nest in the Bahamas, or a rare coin collection, we need to know and plan accordingly.
Provide us with your tax, banking, investment, insurance, titles to cars and whatnot, and any other requested information quickly in the process (if you can bring this stuff to your first meeting, we might very well cry with joy). If you?re not in a place where you can get the information, sign a release that allows the attorney to request the information on your behalf.
Keep in contact with us. We?ll provide you with frequent updates, but there are times when we need to get in contact with you quickly, too.
Similarly, let us know the best way to contact you. If you?re one of those people who hates checking her voicemail but lives on her computer (wait, that would be me when I?m at home), let us know your email address and if that?s a better way to stay in touch.
Understand that a contested divorce may take a while, even if it ultimately settles. We want closure for you as soon as we can get it, too, but not at the expense of a good settlement for you.
If your case involves child custody, parenting time, or support, sign up and follow through with the mandatory education classes as soon as you can.
Remember that your attorney is there to give you expert advice and recommendations, but isn?t going to be able to make the final decision about whether or not you should take a settlement. He can and will tell you if it?s a good idea or a bad idea, and what the benefits and pitfalls of an offer might entail, but the ultimate decision is going to be yours. Also, if you don?t like the way negotiations may be headed, if you change your mind about the way the case is going, or if you?re just generally unhappy about something, please say so. We?d much rather know about it (and fix it) than to find out much, much later that you?d been unhappy for a very long time.
Advice aside, we know that this may be the, or one of the most difficult times of your life. We treat all of our clients as we would hope to be treated under the same circumstances: with diligence to their case, courtesy, the utmost respect, and the highest level of customer service possible.
- Education Attorney Versus Education Advocate
By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995 Attorney or non-attorney advocate? What is the difference? Parents faced with a school issue, such as expulsion or a special education problem, often do not know who...
- Iep Meeting Preparation: Gather Your Pile Of Persuasive Documents To Go To War
By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995 Going to an IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting is not just "going to a meeting," although it may seem like that. It is going to war. This is a war for our...
- How To Win A Custody Case
Because of our tremendous success in the field of Georgia Father?s Rights, I am often asked what I do to ?win? a difficult custody case. The reality is, every successful attorney who wins fathers? rights cases, simply manages the facts and presents the...
- Representing Celebrity Clients
The Celebrity Dissolution [abridged version] Aissa Wayne, Esq., T. Elizabeth Fields, Esq., and Kathryne Clark. Esq. co-authored the below. The lives of celebrities are both fascinating and challenging. When involved in a family law proceeding, celebrities...
- Is Per Diem Properly Included In Income For Purposes Of Calculating Florida Child Support?
As a Tampa family law attorney, I handle a large number of military divorces. These cases present a number of unique issues. One of the issues that often arises is how to account for military allowances and benefits from a family law perspective....