Why is it important to have a divorce settlement reviewed by an attorney, even if you and your spouse have a fairly amicable divorce?
Serious consequences often follow a finalized divorce settlement that wasn’t reviewed by a lawyer. Most divorcing couples miss basic legal considerations (and rights) when they decide to engage in private divorce settlements. Emotions can easily cloud judgment in divorce decisions, so having a professional offer an objective review can really help. It will usually benefit you financially in the long run.
These are a few examples of what can go wrong if there’s no qualified legal review of a potential settlement:
- Have you considered the tax consequences of your asset distribution?
- Is it possible that some of your assets are separate property, and therefore you may not need to divide these assets with your spouse or partner?
- Is your partner represented by counsel and trying to push you into something you don’t understand?
- Are you headed into a parenting evaluation and need some coaching?
- What about your will?
Add hasty parenting plans to the situation and things can get really complicated.
What Are Divorce Legal Coaching Services?
Legal coaching is exactly what it sounds like. Your lawyer will coach you on what you need to accomplish to have a solid divorce outcome that works for you and your family going forward.
In a legal coaching situation, you will sign an engagement letter that outlines your legal coaching agreement. After that, your lawyer engages with you on a limited basis, which means you’re not expecting your lawyer to take on all aspects of your case. You will instruct your lawyer to do as much or as little as you ask (within the lawyer’s good judgment).
A more senior lawyer is usually a good choice for legal coaching cases. She will have the experience to spot red flags and steer you away from making poor choices when you’re confronted with important issues.
Another benefit of legal coaching is that you can work with a paralegal at your lawyer’s office to draft your own legal documents. This can come in handy if you are engaged in a parenting case where you have a difficult opposing party. Learning this once from someone who really knows what he or she is doing can save you time and future frustration by making sure you file good paperwork at the outset of the divorce.
And best of all, in today’s busy world, most legal coaching can be done remotely, saving you much-needed time and focus.
