When confronted with the stressful and unpleasant nature of a family crisis like separation or divorce you will require the guidance of a family law lawyer, but before selecting one, you will first have to decide which approach you wish to take in resolving your crisis as the approach chosen will determine which family law lawyer to select. The three approaches that are commonly taken to resolve a crisis in Family Law are:

Approach One
As a single client you meet with a family law lawyer to seek personal legal advice best suited for your individual situation.

Approach Two
To avoid the negative aspects of adversarial litigation, you and your partner decide to proceed in a collaborative manner. Each of you choose a family law lawyer, and meet in a cooperative environment with the assistance and guidance of your respective lawyers to make the decisions and agreements necessary to resolve your crisis.

Approach Three
You and your partner realize that attempting to negotiate a settlement between yourselves will be impossible, and seek the help of an impartial Mediator who will guide you and facilitate the process to help you reach the best decisions. Although you and your partner will require independent legal advice throughout mediation, the two of you will make the decisions with the help of the Mediator. You do not have to accept the suggestions made by the Mediator, but you will be bound by your final written agreement if you sign one. A variation of the above is that you and your partner choose an Arbitrator, who is a private judge that will hear your arguments and make binding decisions for you.

If you do not know the approach best for you and your situation, Family Law Professionals can arrange an initial consultation with an unbiased and neutral family law lawyer who will help you explore your situation, explain your legal options and obligations, and suggest the most appropriate approach for you to take. If you know which approach you wish to take, but do not have a Lawyer, Family Law Professionals can provide you with a large selection of highly qualified lawyers to choose from.

Experience has shown repeatedly that it is best to engage in a non adversarial approach when resolving a family crisis, and resort to an adversarial approach as an absolute last resort.