People visit their dentists for regular check-ups to see whether everything is okay with their teeth. Small problems will be corrected, advice given and preventative measures put in place for the future. Do you have this relationship with your lawyer?
Most people don’t. They see their lawyer in times of emergency, when things are already complicated. As a result, there is often great expense and great stress, some of which could have been avoided if better plans were in place, and people had understood their rights and obligations earlier. There are many situations when a lawyer can assist, for example:
- Keeping your Trust documentation up to date
- Documenting how you are going to deal with your mother giving or loaning money towards a new house owned by you and your new partner
- Discussing how you could deal with an inheritance from your parents to pay off your mortgage
- Explaining what you need to know if you are thinking of separating
- Reviewing parenting arrangements for a young child and discussing any amendments
- Reviewing child support obligations and payments
- Discussing how a blended family or a new partner may affect your property rights or parenting arrangements
- Explaining your employment rights in situations like redundancy, where there are performance issues, or when your working conditions or role has changed
A regular ‘health-check’ with your lawyer will ensure you are in the best situation to deal with life’s curve balls. Divorce law in particular, is an area of law where people benefit from seeking advice early. Separation can be enormously stressful, and people feel a lot better once they understand their rights and options regarding things like the family home, relationship property and childcare arrangements.
A specialist divorce lawyer will be familiar with all the issues that can arise and can advise on how to achieve amicable agreements, avoiding large legal costs and ensuring the best outcomes for clients and their families.
Jeremy Sutton is a specialist divorce lawyer based in Auckland City. He offers a one-off consultation for people seeking advice on a range of issues relating to separation and divorce. The cost is $500 plus GST. Call Jeremy on 309-4647 to make an appointment for free information.
"The information posted on this website is prepared for a general audience, without investigation into the facts of any particular case. This information is no substitute for legal advice and does not create a lawyer-client relationship; you are advised to consult with a lawyer on any legal issue."
