How to prepare for your first meeting with a Family Lawyer and the benefits of early advice

When a relationship breaks down, emotions can be so overwhelming that planning the next step can become quite challenging. At Streeterlaw, we recognise that seeing a lawyer is a significant step for people in this process and unfortunately often delayed until well after problems arise.

Getting early advice from a Family Law Specialist however is the best thing you can do to provide you with both a clear direction and importantly, confidence that the advice you receive is accurate, practical and helpful. When it comes to family law, don’t risk your future to the amateurs.

Seeing a family lawyer does not mean that you are choosing to go to Court. There are now many options available to assist you to reach an affordable negotiated settlement including mediation, collaborative law, or lawyer assisted negotiations.

There are some practical steps you can take upon separation to help clarify your financial options and maximise any advice you receive from your first appointment with your solicitor. Accredited Specialist in Family Law, Simone Green advises clients to consider preparing the following financial information and documents before the first family law appointment where possible:

1. A record of assets and liabilities – a list of all assets (eg. real estate, cars, bank accounts, shares and superannuation) in addition to all liabilities (eg. mortgages, credit cards, personal loans, taxation debts) and their approximate values.
2. A list of regular expenses for yourself and/or the family and their approximate cost.
3. Information about each partner’s income (pay slips or tax returns if possible).
4. Details of any pre-relationship financial contributions by either partner.
5. Details of any inheritances or lump sum financial gifts received by either party during the relationship.
6. The top 3 questions you would like to have answered in the initial conference.

Having such information available will assist the family lawyer to provide you with practical advice on your next steps in the process and provide you with your available options.  You do not need to have all the information in order to seek initial advice, however.

As there can be a lot of information to take in during an initial conference with your lawyer, we encourage clients to bring a ‘support person’ such as a parent, sibling, or trusted friend along to the interview. It can be helpful to have someone else to discuss the issues with later or to remind you of the important issues you wish to discuss.

If you need guidance and advice with your family law separation the Streeterlaw Family Law Specialists would love to speak with you today. Call us on 02 8197 0105.