If you find yourself facing a battle with your ex over who will have responsibility for the future care of your kids, then it would be prudent for you to think about hiring a divorce lawyer in Sydney to assist you. This kind of legal expert will give you valuable advice and counsel on what steps to take, as well as having the ability to argue on your behalf in a courtroom.
However, if you are not careful with who you select you could end up with a practitioner who has undesirable traits and could end up jeopardising your chances of success in getting the outcome you desire. For the best chance of success, make sure you hire a divorce lawyer in Sydney that possess the following traits.
Focuses on the best interests of the kids
All of the divorce lawyers in Sydney that you speak to should demonstrate a sincere concern for the welfare of any kids in the relationship and seek to ensure their best interests. This means that, throughout all discussions, the best possible arrangement for the kids needs to be at the forefront of consideration.
This can be very helpful in speeding up negotiations and ensuring they go smoothly as, while you may disagree with your ex on a lot of things, you can both agree on seeking the best arrangement for your kids. You, your ex and whatever divorce lawyers in Sydney you are both working with should all be on the same page when it comes to the best interests of the kids.
Punctual and organised
Of course, your divorce lawyer in Sydney should demonstrate punctuality and organisation throughout their work. If they don’t maintain an air of professionalism, it will be easy for them to make mistakes and be tripped up by opposing solicitors.
Studying to be a solicitor is one of the toughest professions academically, meaning that it would be hard to find a qualified practitioner who didn’t have good organisational skills. If the solicitor seems highly disorganised, it’s a sign that they have something deeply wrong with their work ethic.
Is sympathetic and respectful
Your divorce lawyers in Sydney also need to demonstrate that they are sympathetic and respectful of you and the situation you are going through. While they aren’t meant to be your therapist, you should expect the solicitor to show some kind of humanity and understanding when they see you’re going through the worst of the ordeal that is a parental rights dispute.
They should never be judgemental or tell you what to think – divorce lawyers in Sydney are meant to be your close ally during a difficult time.
Confidentiality
Finally, divorce lawyers in Sydney have to follow the principles of integrity and confidentiality that all solicitors do. Because of the highly sensitive nature of issues surrounding kids and adolescents, it is even more important that divorce lawyers in Sydney adhere their oath of confidentiality with their clients so that they can remain a trustworthy advocate.
In fact, breaking this confidentiality can put kids at risk and would ruin the career of any solicitor who did so. If you can trust the solicitor you are speaking with, there’s no point working with them any longer.
As you can see, there’s a lot to remember when hiring divorce lawyers in Sydney. Hopefully the above has given you valuable insight on how to avoid a bad practitioner.