The Fort Worth Divorce Attorneys at the Law Offices of Jayson Nag believe that a divorce case is as much about helping the client get through a divorce case with limited life disruption as it is about getting the divorce finalized...
1) First, take a deep breath, if you hired a good attorney, all you need to do is maintain good communication, follow your attorney’s advice and show up for your court dates
2) Get all of your relevant documents to your attorney at least 14 days prior to any hearing
Clients often times will wait until a couple days before their hearing to give their attorney relevant documents and statements. This is a bad idea. Your attorney needs at least a few days to go through everything, mark exhibits and make copies
3) Don’t violate any court orders
This sounds pretty self-explanatory but clients unfortunately do this all the time. if you ever have a question as to whether your actions will violate a court order, talk to your attorney first. The last thing you want to do is violate an order, make the judge mad and have the judge order you to pay your spouse’s attorney fees
4) Make sure you stay on top of your financial obligations to your attorney
No one likes to have to pay an attorney, every attorney understands that, however, attorney provide a service that no one else can and if you fall behind on your payments, your case may suffer
5) Make sure you pay your child support in full and on time, if so ordered
6) If you don’t get along with your soon-to-be ex-spouse, make all communication via text message or email
Don’t call them, make sure every conversation is documented so you can use it in court if necessary
7) Try your hardest to limit any negative impact the divorce has on your kids
What do judges hate the most? When mom or dad make the kids suffer because of the divorce. Remember, every family judge has to do what is in the child’s best interests
8) Remember that divorce cases will normally last at least a few months
Very rarely is a divorce finalized on the 61st day (generally a divorce cannot become final until that time). It is not uncommon for divorces to go on a year or more
9) Have your documents and witnesses ready to go before you hire an attorney
You will most likely have your first court date within 30 days, so bring your stuff with you when you retain your attorney
10) If you don’t get everything you ask for in the Temporary Orders hearing, don’t fret
Temporary orders are only temporary and many things can change between temporary orders and final orders
11) But remember that Temporary Orders often times set the stage for the final trial
So make sure you and your attorney are prepared for an evidentiary hearing just in case you cant work out a settlement
12) Maintain good communication with your attorney
Most attorney nowadays prefer email because it makes a record of communication and it allows the attorney to respond later if they need to
13) But also remember that not everything is an emergency
Most attorneys will charge you for phone calls and emails, so try to limit communication to true emergencies or important questions
14) If you have questions for your attorney, try to bundle a few questions, instead of calling or emailing about one single question
15) The Inventory and Appraisement is very important and often overlooked
This big stack of paperwork is not fun to fill out but it is vital to your divorce that your attorney has an accurate list of all the property that you and your spouse own
16) Mediation is ALWAYS a good idea
It doesn’t matter how contested the case is, mediation is always a great idea. Most mediators are well-versed in the law and can tell you what to expect at final trial. Mediation is almost always a better option for spouses to settle their case and forego the expense of a final trial
17) Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get everything you asked for in the divorce
No one does. Divorces are messy and often times clients will be better off making a few sacrifices in exchange for settling the divorce
18) Remember that a divorce decree can be modified in certain situations later down the road
19) Be grateful that you have a good attorney on your side and remember attorneys are not miracle-workers
Attorneys are indispensable when it comes to a divorce, but remember that often an attorney cannot make the other party do something or accept a settlement
20) Remember that a divorce is just a very small part of your life and does not define you as a person
This is the most important piece of advice. You have a great life ahead of you and a divorce, while not fun, is only a small footnote in your long life
***You can always reach the divorce attorneys at the Law Offices of Jayson Nag, 24 hours/7 days a week at (817) 900-2823.