What makes for a good family law solicitor? This is a tough question. Hiring a solicitor can be tough and given how complex and delicate family law can be, it’s no surprise this is one of the hardest fields to find a good solicitor in.
Many solicitors do their job well, but some are simply better than others. Finding the best solicitor is of course always going to be a priority when you’re faced by a difficult legal situation, especially when it comes to something like a separation or an important custody battle. You need to know you have the best solicitor supporting you and handling your case.
In this article we’ll examine what makes for a good family law solicitor.
Do I need a family solicitor?
Before we discuss what makes a good family law solicitor, it’s important to ask the question: do I need a family solicitor?
Family law cases aren’t like criminal cases. If you don’t have a solicitor, you won’t receive one. This is a civil matter, and no representation is required or guaranteed.
This means you need to find your own solicitor, and because of this some people ask if they really need one in the first place.
If you are amicably resolving a family legal dispute, then a solicitor may not be required. However, it will never hurt to have one on hand. They provide advice, can handle complex paperwork (which if improperly submitted can cause significant problems), and help to ensure a fair outcome is secured.
However, if the situation deteriorates then having the service of a solicitor becomes invaluable.
A family solicitor is especially necessary in situations where:
- Your former spouse has hired a solicitor
- There are serious complications in the case – you and your former spouse have a difficult relationship, you are looking to remarry, etc.
- You believe that your child/children may be in danger
So, what do I need to look for in a good family solicitor?
Experience
It is important that you choose a solicitor who is experienced – especially in similar cases to your own. Solicitors at oraclelaw.com will have the relevant legal knowledge, since that’s a key part of their training, but have they got experience in the areas relevant to you?
A solicitor simply will not be able to take care of their clients’ needs if they haven’t worked on similar kinds of cases.
It’s vital to find this out early on. Look into their background and when meeting with them initially, see what areas of family law they’ve worked in.
Document and paperwork skills
A huge part of family law is the completion of paperwork.
Even in an amicable divorce, the proper preparation of documentation and paperwork is vital. If documents are improperly submitted to a court, then the whole process can be derailed and become significantly delayed.
Furthermore, any deals they draw up can have long lasting legal and financial implications. This means you want to ensure any documentation which is drawn up by your solicitor is
Because of this it’s important a solicitor can handle paperwork properly and on time as well.
Empathy and patience
Given how sensitive and difficult the cases handled by a family law solicitor are, it is vital that a solicitor has a strong sense of empathy and compassion for their client. A solicitor’s job is to be patient and support a client throughout the process, and part of that is recognising how stressful and demanding the experience can be.
Sense of integrity
A family solicitor should have a good sense of integrity. They must be honest from the start about the potential weaknesses and strengths of your case, and to be clear about the potential difficulties that you will face. Some solicitors will not be clear about the problems a case faces and will attempt to be opaque regarding the challenges that will need to be overcome. People like this should be avoided at all costs.
Communication skills
It is vital that your solicitor possesses good communication skills.
A solicitor needs to be clear and direct with you and always be easily accessible. A lawyer should be providing you with consistent updates as well. When they are advising you, their job is to break down complex information and provide clear analysis which you can understand make use of. If they can’t do this, then they are unlikely to be able to help you.
Furthermore, because a solicitor acts as your representative and is often an intermediary between you and your spouse or their solicitor – or a worst-case scenario, a court. Because of this, you need to be able to rely on your solicitor to be able to clearly communicate to these people and bodies as well.