If you or a loved one are going through a divorce, you should know what to expect during a divorce. Call our Buffalo lawyers to get started.
Choosing the Best Lawyer
In selecting the attorney who will represent you, interview more than one potential candidate and choose the one whose approach matches your needs.- It is important that you feel confident that you’ll be able to work with your lawyer.
- Hire a lawyer who will listen to you and be responsive to your questions.
- You will be paying for your lawyer’s time, so keep your interaction efficient by grouping your questions and limiting contact to once a week or once a month.
- Constantly calling your lawyer with questions will cause your costs to mount up quickly.
The First Step To Take
- If you’re contemplating a divorce, your first goal is to select your attorney.
- Advice from co-workers, friends, or relatives who might have been through a divorce is of little value, because every situation is unique.
- Meeting with an attorney ensures that you receive guidance tailored to your situation.
- For a fee of $150, I offer a consultation which includes a personal meeting during which you will receive an overview of relevant New York State law, guidance in selecting options for how to proceed, and an estimate of the amount of my retainer.
- That initial fee will probably be the best money you spend because it will give you an opportunity to learn about divorce law and unload some of the stress in your situation.
Divorce Timeline
- If the spouses are cooperative, their divorce can be completed in a few months.
- When spouses are completely uncooperative, their divorce may drag on for years.
- The longer your divorce goes on, the more money it will cost.
- Based on what might be called a typical case, my practice is able to wrap up most divorces in six to nine months, when both parties are reasonable.
- The process carries a certain amount of anxiety, but it can be shortened when both sides are willing to move forward toward a resolution.
Grounds For Divorce
- In New York State, no-fault grounds mean you can get divorced because your marriage has been irretrievably broken for six months.
- Prior to 2010, when New York State adopted no-fault grounds, people had to base their divorce on specific grounds such as cruel and inhuman treatment, adultery that could be contested by the other spouse.
- Today’s no-fault grounds mean that the responding spouse cannot contest the divorce. If one spouse wants a divorce but the other doesn’t, the divorce will happen.
- Rather than focusing on the grounds for divorce, make plans for moving forward by addressing such issues as children, houses, and money.
What To Bring To Your Consultation
- When you first meet with your divorce attorney, bring a list of questions. When they come for an initial meeting, many people are often nervous and, although they have a lot of questions, once they arrive, those thoughts may evaporate.
- If you have access to the prior year’s tax return, bring it with you, along with a recent pay stub if you have one.
- That first meeting will primarily include a review of your specific situation and any questions you want to ask.
- You may leave with a list of information to gather, but this initial meeting is essentially an information gathering session that will enable us to set a course for your divorce.
Are you or a loved one going through the divorce process? You need to know what to expect during a divorce. Contact our dedicated Buffalo family law attorneys today for a confidential consultation. We welcome the opportunity to help you and your family reach the resolution you want.
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