Never allow your divorce lawyer to take control over your case.

Yes, he knows his stuff, he’s got lots of experience (assuming he’s a good lawyer), and he is an expert in family law.

Never the less, your divorce lawyer shouldn’t be placed in charge of your divorce. You may be asking ‘if not him, then who?’

The person that’s in charge and running the operation is you.

Here’s why:

1.) Your lawyer is paid on the basis of hours worked. He gets paid whether or not your divorce settlement is good or bad. He doesn’t share the same motivation to win as you do.

2.) His only motive is making money. It’s just a business to him. He regards you in a professional sense. Personally, he really doesn’t care one way or the other about you. You are one out of hundreds of cases that he handles each year. It’s a good bet that his conscience isn’t troubled over billing you for various ’services’ that weren’t absolutely necessary.

3.) A divorce lawyer should be viewed as an instrument that you employ to achieve your ends. You are the boss and he’s your employee. Many people behave as if it’s the other way around.

Like an employee, he should be earning his pay every day. No one cares about or knows the facts about your case better than you.

4.) Set up a plan with specific goals that you want to achieve through the proper use of your divorce lawyer. If you don’t have a plan and let your lawyer take control, then he will execute his own plan which means spending his time as profitably as possible. His best interests and your best interests are not the same thing.

You can’t really hold that against him because everyone acts in their own best interests. It’s human nature.

In order to make effective use of your divorce lawyer, you’ll have to do your homework, educate yourself, and plan out exactly what you wish to accomplish. Once you’ve done this, it’s time to look for your lawyer.

Having a plan has the added side benefit of improving your selection of a lawyer in the first place. During your interview, you can make it known exactly what you expect of him. If you get any indication that he has a problem with this, you can quickly move on to interviewing the next candidate.

The right divorce lawyer is indispensable for getting a favorable settlement. Your lawyer should be a specialist in divorce and have extensive courtroom experience.

He should be easy to work with and be on the ’same page’ as you. If you don’t feel comfortable with your lawyer, you should correct this immediately by finding another.

Do this before your case starts. Once it has started, changing your lawyer may harm your case.

However, don’t assume that a good lawyer is all that’s required. The other part of the equation is you and how well you as a person can work and interact with your lawyer.

Passivity on your part is the wrong approach. Do your homework and take control over your divorce.

Here are six additional tips about getting the best from the partnership which is you and your lawyer:

1.) If you’re having difficulty understanding your lawyer, don’t be shy about asking him to repeat himself or to use ordinary language rather than jargon. If you don’t understand a term, ask him to define it right away. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you haven’t followed what’s been said and have only a vague idea about where the case is going.

2.) Don’t throw yourself into your lawyer’s hands before educating yourself. Before you start the divorce proceedings, know what you want and what to expect. What route do you wish to take? Through mediation or through the court system?

3.) Honesty with your lawyer is vital. Never withhold information or documents from your lawyer whatever your reasons. Allow him or her to decide it’s relevance to the case. Access to all information will greatly improve your chances of winning a good settlement.

4.) Make a point of staying in contact with your lawyer on a regular basis. Use this time to clear up anything that you don’t understand about the legal proceedings and never be afraid to ask questions. Stay on top of all of the decisions being made regarding your case. Not all contacts with your lawyer need to be in person. Often a simple phone call will suffice.

5.) Your lawyer depends on you to furnish him with all of the necessary documentation relating to the case. All documents, both personal and financial, must be gathered together. Lock them up in a safe place and send copies to your lawyer.

6.) Remember that time with your lawyer is costing you money during meetings with your wife and her lawyer. Do your best to stay with the important topics and issues. Don’t allow petty arguments to use up too much time. Before such meetings, resolve to stay calm and focused.