Divorce can be an emotionally taxing experience and may take longer than anticipated for several reasons, including:
Step one in finding an experienced family law attorney is to locate one who specializes in family law and has deep expertise. Experienced attorneys tend to cost more but could help speed up the case faster.
1. Lack of Communication
As a lawyer, one of the most frustrating experiences I can imagine is dealing with clients who fail to communicate effectively – for instance by missing meetings, not responding promptly to emails or texts, or micromanaging the case. These failures to connect can create issues.
As is often the case, dealing with frequent emotional outbursts can be challenging for an attorney and can result in confusion or missed opportunities to comprehend all legal ramifications of situations.
Keep in mind that your attorney has multiple clients to serve and is limited in time, it is crucial to schedule regular meetings and set expectations regarding communication. If your lawyer fails to live up to these standards, set up a meeting and express your frustrations in a polite and constructive manner; this will allow them to explain their perspective and may inspire them to take necessary actions.
2. Unnecessary Requests
At your initial meeting with an attorney, they may request both general and specific information about your case such as marital history, financial records, communication with the other party and any concerns regarding time-sharing custody visitation or visitation rights. Sharing non-relevant or irrelevant details (like sharing info that could be shared with third-party lawyers or family members) could stall or even prolong proceedings.
Another cause of delay can include failing to meet deadlines and discovery issues, overbooked judges delaying hearings, and one spouse seeking to extend the divorce for financial gain or revenge purposes.
3. Unnecessary Meetings
Clients seeking legal counsel should feel that upon leaving their first meeting with their attorney they can trust that he or she understands their concerns, is experienced and competent and available for contact when needed.
If your spouse and their attorney schedule meetings that you cannot attend, this can significantly slow down the settlement of your case. To prevent this issue from arising, simply be clear with your lawyer that you cannot attend all team meetings and inform them in advance that this may delay settlement efforts.
Team meetings or four-way conferences provide an opportunity for parties and attorneys to discuss outstanding issues within a case, often including financial neutrals, coaches and child specialists as additional team members.
4. Difficulty in Finding a Lawyer
Locating an attorney to assist with your divorce may prove to be challenging, so ask those who have already gone through it for recommendations or read online reviews carefully in order to form an impression of quality of service provided and whether it aligns with your needs.
Once you’ve narrowed your choices down to three attorneys, schedule meetings with each to assess their professionalism and communication style. This will enable you to find an attorney that best matches your personality, values, and communication preferences. An experienced attorney may offer valuable expertise that will speed up the process; other potential delays include non-cooperation from spouses or doctors as well as difficulty getting documents from banks or institutions.
5. Lack of Time
Though every case differs, most divorce cases can be quickly settled if their attorney drives forward and is on top of their game. If an attorney appears too preoccupied to devote themselves to your case or seems unprepared for meetings and court proceedings, it might be time to find another one. Thorough lawyers dedicate significant amounts of their own time preparing for hearings, settlement conferences and trials so they are prepared for whatever opposition brings into court – spending your money on someone who lacks enough time or dedication is simply not worth your while.
