One of the most important tasks you need to accomplish before filing for divorce is to find a competent New Jersey divorce lawyer. While the process is never easy you can reduce the stress and frustration when you know you have made the right choice in a divorce lawyer. You need to feel confident you can provide the lawyer with the information he or she requires without concerns about the proper handling of your divorce. There is a great deal of paperwork involved when you file for divorce, and the last thing you need is to worry about whether your lawyer is taking care of everything in a timely fashion.
If you are uncertain how to proceed in your quest to find the right New Jersey divorce lawyer, you can enlist the help of someone who is more familiar with the process—maybe a friend or co-worker who has already been through a divorce. The process is tedious and can be rather long, so it is a good idea to begin searching before you are ready to file the divorce papers. During the initial research phase of your investigation there are several things you want to accomplish:
• Obtain a list of competent divorce lawyers that meet the minimum qualifications you assign.
• Eliminate those lawyers that do not fall within the regional area you have previously defined—this is the easiest way to begin reducing your initial list of possibilities.
• Choose those lawyers that indicate they specialize in divorce cases rather than simply all phases of family law.
• Select several possibilities from this shorter list and make plans to conduct further research into their credentials and legal ethics.
It is not an easy job to find a good divorce lawyer in New Jersey, but it is important not only to avoid the legal ramifications that might come from choosing an inexperienced lawyer but also for your own peace of mind. You need to make sure the lawyer you choose is experienced in all phases of divorce law in the state of New Jersey and can advice you on all the steps you need to follow in order to ascertain a smooth and speedy hearing and decision.
If you anticipate problems from your spouse regarding the settlement you are seeking you should choose a divorce lawyer that is familiar with extensive negotiations. You may also want to look at the possibility of mediation first in order to reduce some of the costs that will result from a contested divorce. Even if you are filing under the "no fault" provisions, your spouse still has the right to contest any parts of the divorce petition up to and including the reasons you are seeking the divorce. While you may feel the marriage is beyond repair, your spouse may not feel that way and can use that as leverage to extend the length of time involved from the date of filing to the final decree. It is also a tactic that some jilted spouses use in order to obtain a higher settlement.
Christy Oconnor is a divorce lawyer specializing in getting divorced, effects of divorce, relocation and divorce, custody and moving, divorce application, credit and divorce.