The 3 Different Types of Memphis Divorce Lawyers
September 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment
My friend, and fellow divorce lawyer Michael Sherman who practices law in Alabama (his blog can be found at www.alabamafamilylawblog.com), had an interesting post a few days ago concerning the different types of lawyers you see in family law. I’ve taken his idea and decided to post about these types of divorce lawyers on the Memphis Divorce blog here.
The first type of divorce lawyer you have in Memphis is the Lamb. The Lamb is the kind of lawyer who doesn’t want to offend anyone or rock the boat too hard. He or she will usually bend over backwards to make sure that confrontation is avoided at all costs. Unfortunately avoiding confrontation “at all costs” usually means that his or her client gives up more than they should in their divorce or custody case. The Lamb will usually tell there clients to sign off on the first offer they see. He or she also will try to stay as far away from the courtroom as possible.
The next type of divorce attorney is the Pit Bull. We’ve all heard about these divorce lawyers. They’re the nasty and vicious sorts who will do anything to win a case. They often times don’t worry about what’s best for the parties, but instead only want to devastate the opposition.
The Pit Bull is the type of Memphis divorce lawyer who can’t stand to settle a case. Instead they’ll do anything and everything to avoid settlement and to go to court. When people say they want a mean SOB to represent them this is the guy or gal who they’re talking about. The Pit Bull comes with a cost though, both figuratively and literally.
Unfortunately being a Pit Bull is not best for their clients. If you know anything about Pit Bulls you know that they are great at causing damage to whoever their up againt but this usually comes at a great loss to their own health. They often go so far in trying to hurt others that they cause irreparable damage to themselves. The Pit Bull attorney’s attacks usually end up hurting their own clients by racking up enormous client fees and getting nowhere in negotiations. Usually the Pit Bull will spend tens of thousands of their clients dollars only to end up with the same outcome that would have been had if they had been willing to work cordially with their opposing counsel.
The Pit Bull is aggressive just for the sake of being aggressive and not for the benefit of actually helping their client.
Often people going through divorce will think they need an aggressive lawyer to represent them in their divorce. They are wrong. What they need is a lawyer who is assertive. There is a difference. It is the difference between the Pit Bull and the third type of Memphis divorce lawyer, the Fox.
Our third type of lawyer, The Fox is wise and cunning. He sees the big picture. The fox is assertive when he needs to be, compromising when it benefits his clients’ long-term best interests, and always aware of the many different consequences his actions have on his clients. He stands on principle. Yet, he is a strong advocate for his client when it promotes his client’s long-term best interests. He recognizes that reaching a fair settlement is always preferable to trying the case and leaving it up to the judge. Yet, he also knows that if a fair settlement is not forthcoming, then he must be willing and able to prepare to effectively litigate the case in court.
When choosing a divorce lawyer, you should avoid the lamb and the pit bull at all costs. Instead, find yourself a fox.
Money and Divorce for Women
September 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment
My friend and fellow lawyer, Michael Sherman, recently posted an interesting article on his blog, AlabamaFamilyLawBlog, concerning how divorce affects women and their finances. And although the article wasn’t specifically written about the Memphis Divorces it’s a very intersting article. Any woman who is considering a divorce should read and think about the consequences.
According to recent statistics, U.S. divorce rates have decreased in recent years after a peak in the 1970s, but still remain fairly high. In addition to being an emotional breakup, divorce can bring about serious financial issues that can have long-term consequences on the economic stability of a woman.
According to recent studies, a woman’s standard of living decreases at least 30 percent after divorce, which means getting a grip on finances both during and after divorce is crucial for surviving intact.
- Don’t Bury Your Head in the Sand
All women-especially divorcées-need to overcome their aversion to money issues, educate themselves and set financial goals. Part of the reason why divorce hits women so hard financially is due to most of them being reliant on their husbands to take care of household financials while married and then becoming shell-shocked having to manage their own situation on their own.
Self-sufficiency is crucial, and these tips can help.
- Study Your Finances
According to investment advisor Lisa Fox, women often have no idea what they have financially. She says that during an after a divorce, they should be aware of all investments and read each financial statement, investigating anything they are unsure of. Fox also suggests keeping track of finances by copying all important documents.
Knowing what you have puts you in a better position for negotiation during divorce.
- Create a Budget
Draw up a post-divorce budget while in negotiations in order to provide yourself with a snapshot of the type of settlement you’ll need, keeping in mind that downsizing may be required for your lifestyle after divorce.
- Money: Not Just a Man’s Issue
Because women tend to live longer, earn less money during their lifetimes, and not be prone to investing, they have different financial needs than men. This makes getting a handle on financial issues is important, and should be done so sooner than later.
Divorce is never easy, but through common sense and financial responsibility, making the transition can be made easier.
