The New York Times has been running a fantastic series about Divorce and Money.
Tonight they asked people to comment on the best way to pick a divorce lawyer. Here is my answer:
Tonight they asked people to comment on the best way to pick a divorce lawyer. Here is my answer:
The best way to pick a divorce lawyer is to find someone who will try to optimize the situation for everyone involved (particularly the kids), not just for you. Think about the emotional and psychic costs as well as the financial costs.
I am an attorney who only does divorce mediation and collaborative law for this very reason. Lawyers are taught that they have to provide their clients with “zealous advocacy.” That may work fine in business deals, but it doesn’t work when it comes to families.
Mediation and collaborative process work for most families, even if you’re furious at each other. They allow you and your spouse to make decisions specifically tailored to the needs of your family, they’re usually cheaper and faster than litigation. Whose kids do you want to send to college – yours or your lawyer’s?