Divorce

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Tuesday 12 January 2010

How to Choose the Right Divorce Lawyer
by: Nashville
Are you unhappy with your relationship? Are you thinking about divorce? Well then, choosing the right lawyer can be one of the most important decisions you make when considering a divorce. According to the article “How to Select a Divorce Lawyer” by Scott Morgan which was posted at www.legalclips.com, selecting a divorce lawyer to handle your family law case is a very important decision. There are a few important criteria to help in finding the right divorce lawyer including focus and experience, past client testimonials, accessibility, fees and comfortability. And here are a few tips on how to get the best divorce lawyer around for your case.

First, set an appointment and prepare your questions beforehand. Ask about everything that is related to your case. Through this, you’ll be able to assess if you have come to the right person and realize if he can handle the case for you. Also, ask about whether you‘ll be copied in on all documents. I believe that it’s very important for a lawyer to return phone calls within a day and to copy a client in on all correspondence including legal letters and documentations. It is your right to be kept fully updated on all the developments of your case.

More so, never think twice to inquire whether you will be charged for phone calls and for the initial consultation. Always keep in mind that a lawyer cannot be able to truthfully determine a legal fee without some preliminary research and investigation. Of course, fees will vary based on the complexity of the case, the time commitment involved, the skill and experience of the lawyer, etc. The payment of the fees, whether partial or full, is being done at the beginning of the case in some cases. In other cases, the lawyer might offer a payment plan.

Indeed, resolving such complicated issue is being made more difficult because of the emotional factors involved and the fact that during the divorce, neither of the parents is really happy. With this, regular communication between you and your attorney is very important. However, bear in mind that your lawyer's job is to give you correct information to help you make difficult decisions, not to tell you what you want to hear. The divorce lawyer will only help you to at least lessen the burden that you experience by winning your divorce case.

After all, the stress that these battles bring to parents can be truly remarkable. Perhaps, no other phase of life such as this one presents so much psychological pain yet so much opportunity for growth for the persons involved.
A Divorce Glossary
by: Nathan Dawson
Divorce lawyers and law firms can provide a great deal of divorce information and divorce advice; but sometimes, all that legal jargon can be confusing to say the least, not to mention intimidating. Getting a good, low cost divorce settlement requires planning and research.

So, why not start here? We have provided you with a good glossary of legal terms related to the process of getting a divorce:

Alimony
A regular support payment by one divorced spouse to the other

Annulment
A court declaration stating that a legal marriage never existed

Arbitration
Having a disputed matter settled by a third party who is not a judge.

Attachment
A court-ordered seizure of a debtor’s property.

Attorney at Law
A state-licensed advocate who is hired to prepare, manage and try a case in court.

Alternative Dispute Resolution
A process of negotiation, mediation and arbitration, in lieu of a trial, as a way to resolve issues pertaining to a judgment of divorce.

Case Information Statement (CIS)
A financial document specifying the details of your respective incomes, expenses, assets, and debts.

Child Support
Money paid by one ex-spouse to another toward their child’s expenses.

Common Law Marriage
A marriage without a license or ceremony in which the couple cohabitated for a minimum number of years (varies from state to state).

Default
Failure to do something (such as make a payment) on time.

Discovery
The legal procedures used to gather all the facts necessary to settle a case or to prepare the case for trial.

Dissolution of Marriage (Divorce)
The legal separation of a married couple so that each one may be free to marry again.

Equitable Distribution
A fair division of the assets acquired during your marriage.

Inventory and Appraisement
A list of jointly-owned property along with the current value of each one.

Joint Legal Custody
An agreement in which a divorced couple share the rights and responsibilities of making major decisions about their child’s life.

Joint Physical Custody
The shared right to have a child live with one or the other parent at different times of the week or year.

Judgement of Divorce
A legal document following a settlement or trial that grants a divorce and states the court’s decisions with regard to alimony, support, custody, visitation rights, and equitable distribution.

Maintenance
Alimony or child support payments

Marital Settlement Agreement
An out-of-court agreement that resolves all issues surrounding a divorce.

Mediation
A process by which a dispute is resolved and an agreement between two parties is reached with the assistance of a disinterested third party known as a mediator.

Non-Marital Property
Property that belongs exclusively to either the husband or the wife and, as such, cannot be divided between the two.

No-Fault Divorce
A divorce granted with the mutual agreement of two spouses, or when one spouse has left the marriage for a certain period of time (varies by state).

Rehabilitative Alimony
Alimony that helps the ex-spouse to become self-reliant.

Separation
The absence of one spouse from the household before a divorce.

Separation Agreement
A temporary agreement with regard to support, child custody and property for the period between the onset of separation and the granting of a divorce.

Spouse
A husband or wife

Support
Payment due to one spouse from the other regarding housing, food, clothing, and other expenses.

Transfer
To switch legal ownership from one person to another.

Verification Statement
An oath declaring that the information stated in a document is true.

Visitation
The right for a non-custodial parent to visit his or her child.

About the author:
Nathan Dawson writes for http://www.lifeaftermarriage.coma great online source for finance information.

Divorce

Divorce is one of the events in life we encounter more and more frequently. Therefore we have to be prepared for when everything goes that in flames so that we can come out with our heads up and carry on with our lives. Vicious ex'es and their lawyers only want to get every penny out of you.
What I want to do here is to help you be ready for anything by providing articles wrote by seasoned professionals.