“Will seeking legal advice about a possible divorce harm my marriage?”
Though not yet officially engaged in an attorney/client relationship, consultations with divorce attorneys are held in strict confidence.
If you are thinking about divorce, chances are good that similar thoughts have occurred to your spouse. Most divorce actions have been a long time coming. Trust issues on financial and relationship matters, or conflicts over child rearing usually build up over a period of years before the marriage reaches the point of no return.
Once you feel your marriage is on the rocks, and you’ve done all you can to salvage the marriage (like undergoing marriage counseling), you then need to take every step possible to secure your interests. Create a written diary of any wrongdoing on the part of your spouse, as you may forget specific examples later when asked to provide a narrative by your attorney. Get copies of your important papers and financial records, as your spouse may try to impede your access to them later, which can make discovery a longer and more costly process than it need be. Know the details and passwords to any joint accounts and beware of any suspicious activity in those accounts.
Consulting with a qualified divorce attorney early on is an important step on the road to securing your rights and interests; waiting until the last minute or after orders have already entered could cause irreparable harm to your case.
There is another advantage to being the first to see a lawyer. Top-notch divorce attorneys are worth their weight in gold. There are some spouses that may have suspicion divorce is on the horizon and may seek to consult first with all the best attorneys in your area (i.e. ‘shopping for lawyers’) in an attempt to cause a conflict of interest when later you try to get a consult with those same attorneys (the sole intention on the part of your spouse being to preclude you from being able to hire the best available local attorney).
Your divorce attorney will play a very important role in helping you achieve your reasonable goals during settlement negotiations and/or at hearings or trial. Be proactive! Don’t let your spouse limit your ability to choose the attorney you want.
If you live in Fairfield County or New Haven County, Connecticut, and are dealing with matters that may come before a divorce or family court judge, the wisest move you can make is to arrange a consultation early on. Whatever your final decisions regarding your marriage and custody and financial issues may be, we work as a team with our clients to ensure the process is as smooth and efficient as possible given the unique circumstances of your case.