The Benefits of Hiring a Board-Certified Family Law Attorney

If you are considering a divorce, you may be wondering whether or not you need to hire an attorney to handle the case for you. Given the changing economy and rates of inflation over the past couple of years, it’s not hard to understand why some people, even those who may be considered wealthy, may wish to save on expenses wherever possible.

While it is certainly possible to file for and finalize a divorce without legal representation, it’s not the most beneficial way to go about divorce, especially for couples who have significant assets, own one or more businesses, or have high-value property holdings that will be subject to division, hiring an experienced family law attorney will provide many benefits.

Keep reading to understand some of the most important reasons why high-asset individuals should always hire a board-certified family law attorney to handle any matter in family court.

 

Complex Cases Need Highly Skilled Experience

Board-certified family law attorneys have the necessary skills, specialized training, and years of experience to navigate the often-complex issues that arise in their high-asset divorces. They can help you determine the proper way to calculate the fair market value of your assets and liabilities, as well as how best to protect your legal rights if your spouse challenges your rights to those assets or disagrees with the valuations applied to any assets subject to division.

Board-certified family law attorneys are also experienced in negotiating prenuptial and postnuptial agreements even before a marriage takes place, which can be extremely important in the event a divorce happens later in life.

 

Securing a Solid Post-Divorce Financial Future

 Another benefit of hiring a board-certified family law attorney is they can help you protect your rights when it comes to securing the correct amount of spousal support, alimony, and/or child support your specific situation requires.

If you are the breadwinner in your marriage, you may be concerned about having to pay spousal support or alimony for the remainder of your spouse’s life after your divorce is finalized, which in many cases would limit your ability to truly move forward with your better future. Having a board-certified family law attorney, especially one who routinely represents high-net-worth individuals in your state, will help ensure you are able to negotiate a fair and reasonable settlement that takes into account your financial circumstances, now and well into the future.

If you are the supported spouse in these marriages, who has given up a decade or more of your professional life or earning capacity to build your family or to help support your spouse build their career and fortune, hiring a board-certified family law attorney gives you the skilled advocacy you need on your side from the very start of your case. Your attorney should be experienced in all the ways a moneyed spouse may attempt to artificially decrease the amount and sources of their annual income while in the spotlight of litigation. Without this knowledge on your side, you may miss your only opportunity to prove the true financial status of your marital estate, which ultimately will limit the Family Court’s ability to properly divide the assets between you.

 

Protecting Your Family’s Privacy

Lastly, hiring a board-certified family law attorney will help ensure your case is handled professionally but also as privately as possible. Your divorce proceedings should not become the subject of public scrutiny or gossip within your community.

Many high-asset divorces happen between couples who are very well known and very active within their community, making the details of any break-up instant fodder for local, regional, and sometimes national media. For those couples who depend on their public personas to secure, increase, or maintain their sources of income, having to deal with a negative publicity campaign on top of the emotional turmoil of a divorce is devastating.

When you have a board-certified family law on your side, they will have the resources to help advise you and your support network on the best ways to manage the family’s privacy and reputation throughout the case. They will also be skilled in negotiating methods which can be handled entirely outside of the public sphere of the courtroom, which will help keep a lid on the most personal and private details of the breakdown of the marriage or any child-related issues that may arise during your case.

In any divorce or related modification case, it’s critically important that you receive the fair and equitable treatment you and your family deserve without the added worry about how the outcome may affect your reputation or your ability to maintain your lifestyle post-litigation. Board-certified family law attorneys are a great asset to have in your corner when it comes to protecting your rights and securing the best outcome for you, now and well into the future.

 

Final Thoughts

High net-worth individuals who are considering divorce, or any related family law case, should strongly consider hiring a board-certified attorney to handle the matter. A board-certified family law attorney can help you negotiate a fair and reasonable settlement that takes into account your financial circumstances, as well as always managing the important privacy and reputation issues that may arise during your case.

Investing in legal representation services from a board-certified family law attorney is an important step towards ensuring that you have secured your family’s future and peace of mind. By doing so, you will be able to rest assured knowing that your, and your family’s, legal rights are being properly protected by someone with the skills and experience to help secure the outcomes you desire and need to build your new future.

If you and your spouse are considering divorce, don’t make any decisions about how to proceed before talking with a trusted attorney in your area. Your divorce and any settlement you create will be subject to your state’s divorce laws. Without discussing your situation with an attorney, your agreement may not be what you want or what is beneficial to your future. If you’re in South Carolina, it’s important to contact an experienced, board-certified family court attorney like J. Benjamin Stevens today to discuss your specific situation. Even if you aren’t in South Carolina, Mr. Stevens is happy to offer referrals to a well-qualified attorney located in your state.

Ben Stevens is a Board-Certified Family Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and he is currently the President-Elect of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He has represented high-asset and high-net-worth individuals in Family Court cases all across South Carolina for well over a quarter of a century. If you or someone you know is facing a child custody or visitation case, contact our office at (864) 598-9172 or SCFamilyLaw@offitkurman.com to request a consultation.

 

Link: NBTA Family Trial Law Board Certification

 

Related Articles by Mr. Stevens:

• • Reputation Management During High-Profile Divorces: How to Protect Your Good Name
  • Using a Lifestyle Analysis During High-Asset Divorce Cases: How to Secure Your Future
  • What are the Top 5 Questions High Asset Individuals Ask about Divorce?