You are wasting your money if you hire an aggressive lawyer for your family law matter. You may not want to hear this, but it is true. An aggressive family law lawyer is a giant waste of your hard-earned cash. Lawyers that practice family law usually charge per hour for parenting, financial support and division of family property matters. You might be able to find a lawyer offering flat fees for services for things like formal agreements or uncontested divorces, but that is about it. Lawyers that are hired to deal with any kind of conflict do not want to commit to a set price because the amount of time and work required may fluctuate. Lawyers are like the rest of us. They do not want to work for free.
Lawyers that can resolve matters quickly and amicably are not “pit bulls” or aggressive lawyers. In fact, they are the lawyers that you should aim to hire because they can get the job done in less time, with less stress and with less legal fees. These “friendly” lawyers are extremely skilled and valuable despite the lack of recognition they usually receive. Many people fall into the trap of believing that aggression is a good quality for a lawyer to have but in reality, it is reckless in family law. You do not want to hire an aggressive lawyer!
What happens if you decide to hire an Aggressive Lawyer?
If you decide to hire an aggressive lawyer, your aggressive lawyer will probably come along and introduce themself to your ex or their lawyer then immediately start making threats and demands. Aggressive lawyers are like wrecking balls with their words. The “shoot first and ask questions later” approach will do nothing more than push your legal matter further away from resolution. The further away from resolution your matter is pushed, the more your family matter will cost you in the long run. We are not just talking about the money that you will need to spend to keep up with your increasing legal fees. The damage caused by an aggressive lawyer will also cost you your time, mental health and wellbeing.
If you hire an aggressive lawyer, your aggressive lawyer will waste your money by adding fuel to the fire that they were hired to resolve. Your aggressive lawyer will escalate your fights with your ex which result in lots of back and forth and emotionally charged emails that ultimately resolve very little. Your aggressive lawyer bills for their time and the exchange of unpleasant emails adds up quickly despite the lack of progress and the long-term damage created to your co-parenting relationship. Your aggressive family lawyer will cause more harm than good to your family law matter.
What should you take from this?
If you are struggling to work together and make important decisions with your former spouse or co-parent, you should aim to hire a lawyer with strong advocacy skills and experience in actually resolving disputes. Do not mistake aggression for skill or strong advocacy. A lawyer with strong advocacy skills and lots of experience in resolving high-conflict disputes will introduce themself to your former spouse or their lawyer and will keep the tone neutral or friendly because their eye is on the prize. The lawyer you hire should know how to play nicely with others and should save their teeth for court only after all other methods fail.
If you are looking for a family law lawyer, you must select your lawyer carefully and recognize the signs as early as possible if your lawyer is causing more harm than good to your matter. An aggressive lawyer will take a family law dispute that could have been resolved in a formal settlement meeting and drag it into court and into a lengthy trial. For advice on how to find a skilled lawyer with strong advocacy skills, contact us.
The Edmonton Family Network was designed to be used as a resource for anyone dealing with a difficult family situation. The Edmonton Family Network is familiar with the current limitations of the legal system and the barriers many people face trying to access and afford legal services. The Edmonton Family Network aims to educate and connect people with affordable resources and service providers that can help.
