Do I Need a Lawyer to Handle My Divorce?
By Mike OConnor | Published on March 28, 2012 | 0 Comments
When dealing with family law in Cincinnati, it’s always a good idea to hire a lawyer. Mike O’Connor is a family lawyer with O’Connor, Mikita & Davidson and his advice is that “anytime you’re going into court it can be really complicated, you’re probably going up against your significant other or spouse who is represented by an attorney which would incredibly tilt the tables in their direction if you choose to go it alone.” Cincinnati family law can be incredibly complicated and there are so many pitfalls, says O’Connor, that even lawyers who have been practicing a long time often get caught in their own traps. He likens not hiring a lawyer to breaking your arm and putting lotion on it instead of going to the emergency room—you’ll probably be more messed up than it would have been if you had just dealt with it properly from the beginning.
Family law in Cincinnati and elsewhere is particularly complicated because people are emotionally invested in these relationships and sometimes act differently than normal because of the stress they are going through. So sometimes O’Connor’s clients wind up focusing on what’s best for themselves, and not what’s best for their children, whereas the court system is always focused on trying to put the kids first. “It may seem like an old-school way of looking at things,” says O’Connor, “but women are often very territorial with children while men can be more territorial about money.”
In order to understand your rights and figure out the best way to fight for what you want in a divorce, a good family lawyer in Cincinnati will be able to help you achieve your goals—within reason. According to O’Connor, a good lawyer will be realistic with you. He tells people that you should look for the same straightforwardness in a lawyer as you would in your doctor. You don’t want a doctor to tell you he’s going to do surgery on your knee and then it’ll all be fine; you want the doc to tell you you’re going to have surgery, it’s going to hurt, it’ll take time to recover, there are no guarantees, but he’s going to do everything he can to try and fix it so you can walk normally again. O’Connor says he and his partners “have to be realistic about fees, we have to be realistic about expectations, and we try to set out several paths and help them choose which path works best for them.”
Whether you’ve already begun a family law case and need a lawyer to help you clean up a mess, or are contemplating a divorce for any reason and have not yet found help, contacting a family lawyer will help you understand your options and make it possible to fight for what you want.
Cincinnati, OH 70163
*Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. You should not rely on this article as a legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances, and you should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. Publication of this article and your receipt of this article does not create an attorney-client relationship.