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Rayner my parade! The importance of specialist advice.
Jemma Brimblecombe
This week saw two of the many London Divorce Lawyers brandishing their PR clubs as they fought to be noticed.
One of them, had been accused of launching a cyber-attack on the other's website. Having lost (costs and some form of compensation “without prejudice”) in the ensuing legal engagement, they cried from the playground about their dominance in the divorce market and high profile clients.
Johnny Rotten sang, “A cheap holiday in other people’s misery” but divorce is about as private an issue as anyone might care to face.
A lawyer's job is to respect the dignity and privacy of their clients.
“Celebrity lawyers” in London should be wise enough to know that good practice says “keep your mouth shut” because this is a discreet business.
Against this background how do you chose a divorce lawyer?
If your aim is publicity then you know what to do - otherwise it is simple, talk to a few of them.
Remember, despite the apparent mystery, sorting out most of the practical issues that follow divorce is not that hard (what have you got and how should it be divided).
So, beware of anyone that promises the Earth as, somewhere down the line, they will be suggesting acceptance of just the Northern Hemisphere.
- Ask how they structure their work, who will actually do it and insist on interviewing all of the people who will be working for you.
- Go beyond the anonymous web site recommendations “I couldn’t have done it without you” and ask how they seek client feedback and what they do with it.
- Insist on a strategy, how will you be taken through the process and what, broadly, is the likely outcome and cost.
- Choose someone that you feel that you can get along with for the next 12 months and who is interested in you as something other than product.
- If you have a business or unusual home/assets, insist that they visit you at their own expense to get an understanding of what you are about.
And don’t forget ……never believe everything that you read in the papers.
We welcome views and opinions about the issues raised in this blog. Should you require specific advice in relation to personal circumstances, please use the form on the contact page.
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