When a marital relationship breaks down there are questions that the state needs answered in order to avoid or minimise the fallout that can occur between disputing couples. The court system in Australia, like other western nations, is designed around helping disputing ex-spouses reach a mutually agreeable compromise that allows them to move on from their animosity and start the next chapter of their life.
Talented and experienced divorce lawyers in Sydney are the first point of call when people need legal counsel and representation with regards to issues like divorce, property settlement and child custodial arrangements. These experts come in all varieties with varying levels of experience and expertise behind them.
The following will examine 4 things you ought to know about divorce lawyers in Sydney.
1. They put the best interests of children first
All reputable divorce lawyers in Sydney will follow a ‘best interests of the child’ principle with all of their work regarding child custody settlements. This is because it is widely understood that innocent children are often the worst affected by the emotionally draining split their parents are going through.
You are probably already aware of the phenomenon of children blaming themselves for the split of their parents, rationalising that they would have been happier without them as a burden. This is obviously very psychologically damaging and traumatising for any child, which can cause them to have lifelong mental health issues.
Naturally, all parties want to minimise stress and hardship caused to children by the split of their parents. Divorce lawyers in Sydney are practically honour-bound to seek out the best settlement for children caught in the crossfire between their parents.
2. They are good negotiators
In the Australia court system, there is open encouragement for disputing exes to settle their matter via an out-of-court negotiation, often under the supervision of a mediator. In these scenarios, divorce lawyers act as advisors and negotiators on behalf of their clients.
This means they will likely also have some extra specialised training on how to deal with disputes and help people reach a compromise. The deals reached via private negotiation with divorce lawyers and mediators are, on average, much more secure against future challenges which give people peace of mind that the issue is well and truly behind them.
3. They have great research skills
Divorce lawyers, like all other solicitors, need to be competent at researching past cases in order to establish precedent for the outcome they are arguing for. This is particularly important in this area of law as settlements awarded by a judge to one party or another can seem arbitrary and need justification.
4. They have desirable traits
The best divorce lawyers will be friendly and approachable people who know how to deal with the complex emotional issues faced by divorcing exes. While they are not meant to be a therapist, they do act as a close ally and confidant to their client who may privately elaborate on issues of infidelity or other awkward subject matter than may have relevance to the case.
Above all, they should be unbiased and not encourage you into vindictive thinking but help you transcend it for your benefit and the benefit of any children you have.
As is clear, there’s plenty to think about when it comes to the mix of divorce lawyers practising in Australia.