Is Your Divorce Attorney Fighting for You or Just Fighting?

By Daniel H. Moss, Attorney

“I want someone who will fight for me” is something I hear often as it relates to divorce, but there is a difference between fighting and fighting for you.

The ideal divorce attorney is one who will put your interests first and who will stand firm on the major issues, offer alternatives and compromises on lesser important issues, and put your children first.

Often, the combative behavior associated with the type of attorney deemed a “fighter” or “pit bull” brings a sense of aggression to the proceedings that can actually cause a divorce to be prolonged, less productive and, ultimately, more expensive for clients.

While you might be angry as you head into a divorce and your relationship with your spouse might be combative in nature, an attorney who can guide you past the emotional or aggressive behavior to resolve your divorce in a beneficial, efficient manner will produce the best results for you.

You need to find an attorney you can trust to provide you with sound advice and who will truly look out for your best interests every step of the way. So-called “pit bull” attorneys can disrupt situations that would best be handled with an even hand. They can cause more conflict and stress to an already emotionally charged situation and, in some cases, can be the catalyst for additional arguments and difficulties as you struggle to separate from your spouse.

If you have children, this type of situation can, of course, get even more complicated and can spill over to involve the children, causing more damage to them in the process.

Under the best circumstances, divorce can cause a great deal of stress to the divorcing couple as well as to their children and even sometimes extended family members. Messy divorces filled with combative proceedings and aggressive attorneys can cause a lasting impact and can make it difficult to not only work through the divorce, but to pick up the pieces and move on post-divorce. The residual damage caused from this type of approach can be long lasting.

My advice is to review several attorneys and to get referrals, if possible. Make a list of pros and cons for each and identify the attorney who most fits with your personality and whose approach is not based in aggression, but in providing you with the sound legal advice you will need to resolve your divorce in the most productive way with your best interests in mind.

If you have questions or are looking for advice about your specific situation, please contact me directly at 248.855.5656 or [email protected].

Contact: 248.855.5656 | [email protected]