One of the most frequent problems that cause stress during a divorce is unmanaged expectations. Some things just simply cannot occur during a divorce proceeding and other things may be unethical. Being aware of what is likely to occur and what is not likely to occur early on in your divorce proceeding may make the lengthy process a bit more bearable. This is where an experienced divorce lawyer can be very valuable. An experienced divorce attorney will be able to inform you very early in the case what is a viable option and what is not.
There are clients who are fully aware of what the Court is likely to decide at the end of a trial and still demand the representation go down a route that is not best or potentially unethical. Sometimes this can be accomodated while other times it cannot be, it depends on the circumstances and the ethics involved. These clients tend to be less stressed about a bad outcome and have other motives than simply being divorced. For most clients, the lack of knowledge of likely outcomes can fuel anger as unmanaged expectations are not fulfilled.
For example, imagine a person going through a divorce who believes they are going to get $3.000 a month as maintenance from spouse whom they were only married to for 2 days and makes only $1,500 per month. This is simply not a realistic outcome and nothing but anger can come from learning the hard way when a judge decides against your position after you fought for $3,000 per month so hard during the pendency of the case. It would be much better if the person seeking maintenance was aware the request was unrealistic and what, if any, alternatives may exist.
There are other benefits from having well managed expectations during a divorce. It allows for greater negotiating capability because you know what is likely to occur if the best possible outcome occurs or the worst possible outcome occurs. It is my goal to inform you of your rights and likely outcomes so you can make informed decisions concerning your representation. Divorce cases are not one size fits all and an experienced divorce lawyer can tailor the representation around you.