Divorce is very common in the United States and around the world. In 2018, it was estimated that about half of all marriages ended in divorce. For first-time marriages, the rate hovered around 40%. People serving in the military are not immune to this problem. For example, while this is much lower than the general population, about 12.5% of all members of the U.S. Navy get a divorce. If you are serving in the military and find yourself facing a divorce, there are some things you can do to make yours go with less stress. Finding the right military divorce attorney is an important start. Here are some tips for finding the right one for you.
- Get the right divorce lawyer for your situation. If you are in the U.S. armed forces, you will want to go to a military divorce attorney. You may have other things you have to take into consideration. Make sure the military divorce lawyers have experience in any other areas where you need help. If you own a business with your spouse, have children, or have other issues that you need to deal with, make sure your lawyer has some experience with them.
- Talk to your friends and loved ones. Given the vast number of divorces in the United States, the chances are good that you know at least one person who has been through a divorce of their own. When you are looking to hire a military divorce attorney, you can start your list by talking to your friends and loved ones. You will need to talk to family lawyers who are both familiar with the issues that face people serving in the military and the divorce laws in your area. Divorce laws vary from state to state so you have to get someone who can practice in your state.
- Think about what you want. Different people want different things from divorce. It is important to talk to your divorce attorney about what your expectations are. It is nearly impossible for anyone to help you get what you want if you are not sure what that it.
- Take advantage of the free first meeting. Family law practices allow people to come in and meet with an attorney for free. These sessions allow prospective clients to get to know the lawyers and the lawyers to get to know their prospective clients. Here are some questions you should not leave without having answered:
- Why divorce law? There are a lot of kind of law to practice. You want a military divorce expert who has a passion for what they do. Whether you are getting a complicated or simple divorce, you need someone who is interested in really working on your behalf.
- How much experience do you have with military divorces? You need someone who really knows the ins and outs of military divorce rules and regulations.
- Who are the people who will work on my divorce? Law firms have paralegals, legal assistants, and others who will work on your case. You should be able to get to know the other people who work on your divorce.
- How much will this cost? You need to know before you hire a military divorce lawyer, that you will be able to afford them. There are also more questions you should ask about the billing process as law firms all make up their own billing policies. Reputable firms will have no problem being transparent with this.
- Talk to several divorce attorneys. You may want to just hire the first military divorce attorney you talk to because this is a painful enough process as it is. This would be a mistake on your part because you will have no way to know if you are getting what you need. Talk to at least three military divorce attorneys so you can see what your options are.
- Remember, you did not fail, your marriage did. Many people feel a bit like a failure after their marriage has broken up. The truth of the matter is that while the relationship may not have worked out the way you wanted, that says nothing about you.