We of course want to believe that our attorneys have our best interests at heart. It’s literally their job to have your best interests in mind as you trust them to negotiate for you.
In family law, determining best interests might be difficult for some clients to establish though. It might be even harder for attorneys, especially one’s that might not feel comfortable speaking up – or worse, talk over you.
What seems like the best interest at the time might not always be the best decision down the line. It’s important to establish early what results you want, where you’re willing to negotiate, and make sure your attorney will fight for that result.
How do you determine best interest?
The best interest for one isn’t the best interest of all. As always, there are two sides to every story. The attorney and client can come to a better understanding of the results they want by listening to all sides of the story.
For example, it can become very easy to focus on the “winning” aspect in a divorce case. It’s important for an attorney and client to look at all aspects of both the client’s side and the opposing side, and most importantly their children’s side.
It’s also important to play chess instead of checkers. It’s up to the client and the attorney to decide if it’s worth settling on a large sum payment or if they should fight to be included on long-term revenue.
How do you know your attorney has your best interests?
The client might have a clear idea of what they want and what would make the most sense for all parties involved. However, this can be conflicting with what your attorney thinks is the best resolution as well as their attorney style.
It’s important to do research into your attorney’s case history. This will allow you to see if they have a tendency to focus on big wins, specialize in any particular form of law, and if they’re compassionate to clients.
