It Starts with Realistic Expectations
Even with the best divorce attorney in Albuquerque, your case is going to take time. Generally, the longer your marriage, the longer it will take to resolve your divorce. This is especially true if you haven’t communicated with your spouse about the divorce before you file. When it comes to long marriages, often the non-filing spouse will require significant time to process what the dissolution of their marriage will look like. So be patient. Even if you’ve only been married for a short period, it takes time to legally unravel your marriage.
Your Spouse’s Lawyer is Not Your Spouse
You must be very careful to avoid characterizing what your spouse’s lawyer says as something coming directly from your spouse. Often, your spouse’s lawyer is simply following best practices in handling a divorce case. A good example of this is that your spouse’s lawyer may request that you pay your spouse’s legal fees at the end of the case. This is a pro forma request and may have nothing to do with what your spouse really wants. So do not get too excited. You will learn what your spouse really wants when your case goes to a settlement conference. Until then keep an open mind.
Your Divorce Wish List
The vast majority of divorce cases in Albuquerque do not go to trial. They end with a negotiated agreement. This does not mean you should sacrifice your position, but it does mean that you will have to compromise to resolve your divorce case. This means it is important to know very early in your case what is important to you and what is not important. There are dozens of things that can be contested in a divorce, but at the end of the day, for most people, only a few of these things really matter. Your case will be resolved more quickly and more to your satisfaction if you are able to identify what is most important to you and to communicate that to your attorney.