Stay On Top Of The Proceedings: Three Questions To Discuss With Your Attorney
Legal proceedings are a jumbled mess, and they can be hard for lay people to follow, especially in the period before the case ever reaches the judge. During this time it may seem that your attorney is not doing much work, but there are a number of things that your attorney is doing that will make the settlement phase of the proceedings much easier. Remember that you are paying your attorney for services and you have the right to ask questions whenever you do not understand what is going on. There are several ways for you to stay involved in the proceedings that will help you see where the claim is headed and there are questions that you should be asking of your attorney.
What is the timetable?
This is a question that should let you know what the situation is with your claim. Even if the claim has not progressed very far, your attorney should have some idea about what the timetable is for the proceedings. This will also give you an idea of what has already been done behind the scenes and what will be coming up. Since attorneys are paid hourly, knowing when they are going to be more active on your divorce proceeding will let you know when you will need to have more money available to make payments. Having a timetable in mind lets you plan ahead for your next more and keeps you informed about the status of the claim.
Has any progress been made on the settlement?
This question is a good one to ask your attorney if you want to know if they have been in contact with the other side. Often you will make a list of the things that you want and then prioritize that list for your attorney. The attorney will then try to get the things that you want from your former spouse through a series of negotiations with the other side. The failure to make progress on the settlement can either mean that your attorney has not even spoken to the other side, or there are too many sticking points to make real progress. By talking about where the sticking points are, you will be able to clarify your position and help to remove roadblocks to the settlement that are keeping the divorce from becoming finalized.
When will the divorce be finalized?
Once a settlement has been reached and all of the paperwork seems to be in order, it may still take a couple of weeks to get the divorce finalized. It is important for you to get a concrete finalization date for the divorce, especially if you have your ex-spouse on your insurance and you want to stop those payments. By staying on top of the finalization date you will have the most control over your finances and your life because you will be able to move on into your new single state once the divorce is finalized.
There are a lot of moving parts in a divorce proceeding, so it is important that you stay involved at all times. The more questions that you ask, the more you will know and you will be able to make better decisions. Divorce is painful enough, it should not be even more painful because of a lack of information.
I am Leslie Scully, a recently divorced mother of two. My attorney was one of the best lawyers Lititz PA has to offer, and he kept me informed every step of the way. I have talked to many of my friends who have had less success with their attorneys, so I wrote this article to talk about some of the information that my attorney gave me that helped me through my divorce. I highly recommend www.gardnerstevens.com for the quality of their work and their experience in dealing with divorce cases.
Category: Family Finances
