There comes a point in almost every family court case when the client and divorce attorney Charleston SC disagree on the next steps to take. These disagreements may only be over minor issues and they can be optimal times to flesh out important points of the case and strategize, but they can also be the source of much conflict if expectations are not set in advance. Every attorney has had a client bemoan that “you are supposed to be on my side.” What we as family law attorneys want you to know is that we are! We want you to get everything you have asked for. That is our role as an advocate: to go before a judge and to plead your case. That part of the job is easy to understand, but we have an equally important responsibility to you: advisor. It is important to remember some key differences in these two roles:
ADVOCATES plead your case to the Judge.
ADVISORS educate you on the likelihood of success of your case.
ADVOCATES make offers that outline your desires for settlement.
ADVISORS help you consider offers made by the other side or attempt to come up with creative solutions to address your desires that may look different than you originally imagined.
An attorney must assess the strengths and weaknesses of your case and prepare you for the risk of trial. If a divorce attorney Charleston SC can get you more via settlement than they honestly believe you will win at trial, they must advise you of the same. The harsh reality is that no matter how strongly we feel about a client’s position, the outcome in these scenarios is never certain and minimizing risk is important. An attorney who fails to prepare you for risk is doing you a grave disservice. Rest assured that if you receive an unfavorable result at trial that you were not prepared for in advance, you will likely be very displeased with their representation.
The role of advisor often comes in the form of asking you to seriously consider an offer that you do not completely agree with, or telling you that you are unlikely to prevail on something you are seeking at trial. We do not enjoy this part of the job, but it is necessary so that you can make the most informed decision about your future possible. The decision on how to proceed is yours, but you should understand that you have hired this divorce attorney Charleston SC because of their expertise in this field and you should seriously consider their recommendations.
If we may serve you as either advocate or advisor please reach out to us here to schedule your initial consultation.
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