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Though you may be splitting up, one area where you and your soon-to-be ex may agree is that you want to keep the costs of your divorce as low as possible. Using the same Michigan divorce lawyer, however, is not the way to save yourself money. At its essence, sharing a divorce attorney may seem efficient and cost-effective, but there are plenty of reasons why using the same Michigan divorce lawyer in Macomb County cannot and should not happen.Why You Can’t Share a Divorce Attorney in Michigan
Sharing a divorce attorney is not an acceptable or ethical practice. Under Michigan rules of professional conduct, attorneys are prohibited from representing two clients who have conflicting interests – and that includes a divorcing couple. You are opposing parties in a lawsuit. You both need your own legal expert negotiating and arguing on your behalf.
Even if you and your spouse agree on every issue when it comes to dividing assets, spousal support, child custody, and child support, disagreements will arise. When this happens, one attorney cannot effectively represent both parties’ interests.
Some divorcing couples try to sidestep double legal fees by hiring one attorney to represent only one of them. The other person goes unrepresented and agrees to the divorce judgment that their ex’s lawyer has drawn up. This arrangement is risky, to say the least.
The unrepresented spouse may realize, too late, that they have signed divorce papers that are not in their best interest. By that time, it will be too late to change anything. An ethical attorney will do what’s best for you – and retaining that kind of legal counsel is an investment in yourself and your future. The divorce attorney you hire is dedicated to your case will work to get the fairest settlement for you.
If you insist that your divorce will be amicable and that you and your ex just want to use one expert to get you through your split, mediation is an option.
There are drawbacks to mediation, of course. Without legal advice and with the potential for an agreeable divorce to get ugly, you may find yourself in court and needing legal representation anyway.
In lieu of mediation, some divorcing couples consider the collaborative law process, which is a mix of a lawyer-driven divorce and divorce mediation. This effort still requires both people to choose their own lawyer. The major difference is that cooperative rather than combative techniques are the goal for divorce negotiations. If an agreement cannot be reached, however, the process ends and the divorce will go through the court system anyway, thereby increasing your divorce costs. It would have been less expensive to just hire a Michigan divorce lawyer in the first place.
It is possible to have a peaceful divorce free of conflict when you use two divorce lawyers. Separate legal representation ensures that your best interests are protected and no legal loopholes go unnoticed. Remember: Once your divorce has been settled, whether through mediation, a DIY divorce, or otherwise, it’s nearly impossible to undo what you’ve done. It’s far better to start with an experienced attorney in Macomb County and be confident in all the divorce decisions you make and settlement you reach instead of using the same Michigan divorce lawyer.
Contact Michigan Divorce Help in Mount Clemens, MI, to schedule your no-cost initial interview. We will answer all the questions you have and guide you in the right direction for your needs, both financial and personal, so you have a successful divorce that is as peaceful as possible.
Most lawyers are in a general practice and do some of everything. One of our main focuses is on Family law and being expert at divorce, custody and support matters.
We are in court daily, working with the family court judges, their staff and clerks, the Friend of the Court office, the Bar Association and other attorneys working in this area. We pride ourselves on fighting hard for our clients while working well with everyone.
Our extensive experience and strong relationship with the courts and our peers leads many judges and attorneys to hire us to act as Mediators in other Family Law cases. Make no mistake; having a strong working relationship with the court can have a massive impact on your case. Unlike most attorneys, we have no fear of the court room and are in trial regularly against the best in the business. We see the judges every week and maintain strong ties with their staff.
Although every attorney can “handle” your case, Michigan Divorce Help cares about you and your family. We work extremely hard to keep this difficult process civil and to shelter your children from as much of the negative facets as possible.
Once your case is concluded, we will be there to help you with any post-judgment problems that may arise.
Everyone’s financial situation is different and we work with our clients to formulate a fee arrangement that works within your means.
We have handled every possible situation involving domestic law. We will do everything possible to wrap up your case in a timely manner, avoiding delays that cause unnecessary legal fees.
When your case cannot be easily solved, we will fight hard and use all of our resources to win. Unlike most attorneys, we have no fear of the court room and we regularly win cases against the best in the business at trial.
Unlike many attorneys who have a part-time typist and work 30 hours a week, we have an expert staff available all day long to assist you and provide immediate service.
At Michigan Divorce Help, your case will be handled by an experienced family law attorney. Each of our attorneys in our family law division has many years of experience in handling family law matters.
During traditional business hours, please call us at: (586) 954-9500
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The information presented within this website is for general information purposes and is NOT and should not be considered as being “legal advice”. You should not act on any information presented herein without the verifying same with your attorney.