The breakdown of any marriage is an unfortunate reality that needs to be dealt with on a personal level by all parties involved. On top of this personal anguish, there are also legal questions that need to be answered, and this is where the services of a family lawyer become relevant.

Hiring this kind of professional is a decision you need to think carefully about. It’s beneficial for you to know what situation warrants the use of a family lawyer, and what those situations typically look like.

Let’s take a look at the top traits of a good family lawyer.


1.    Good organization

One of the most essential traits of any good family lawyer is organizational skills. Nobody would want to hire a solicitor who was disorganized and was unable to keep tracks of important things necessary for the case.

An essential reason that people hire any solicitor is that they will organize things on their behalf. They are counting on the professional they have hired to make sure that things are done in the most efficient way possible.

This includes scheduling meetings and other events and sending out reminders so that the clients are aware of what needs to be done and when. They need to be able to make up for the client’s inexperience with this process.


2.    Skills with negotiation

One of the most important parts of a family lawyer’s job is a negotiation with the opposing party. When a divorce occurs, the other side will most likely recruit their own solicitor who will argue for their case and try to secure the best outcome possible on their behalf.

This means that a divorce solicitor needs to know how to engage in a negotiation process so that an out-of-court settlement can be reached that is favourable for their client. They need to be confident in their abilities and the accuracy of their research so that they can make a case and not embarrass themselves.

This requires that the family lawyer knows how to keep the negotiation process professional and formal without allowing opposing parties to yell and scream and one another. Since the nature of these splits, if very emotionally-charged, it requires a strong mindset to be able to do this and remain professional on behalf of your clients.


3.    Focus on the best interests of the child

mother carrying their child for custody

The most damaged victim of divorce is undoubtedly the children whose parents are now splitting apart and will often be fighting over them. It’s the responsibility of a family lawyer to work towards the interests of their client while also maintaining the best interests of the child or children that are caught between the opposing parties.

 This is important because parents who fight can often lose track of the best interests of their children when they are in a battle with their ex. Therefore, family lawyers need to be able to keep the focus on what is the best arrangement for the future care of children and help their client get the best result within that framework.

There are a lot of complex issues to contend with when it comes to determining the future of children during a divorce. Their quality of life and access to education needs to be prioritized, as well as accounting for a future relationship with both their parents.

There is no doubt many individual traits that a family lawyer will benefit from having. These traits will benefit their career and benefit their clients by allowing them to get better results for them during highly sensitive legal matters.