The breakdown of a relationship and the complex issues that the emotional fallout creates are notoriously difficult areas for people to navigate. Between their own high-strung emotions and that of their former partner, people in these situations often find it very hard to transcend their emotional state so that they can secure the best possible outcome for them.

Matters are further complicated when there are children involved and disputing parents can often become quite vindictive towards each other and will attempt to manipulate the legal system in their favour. Obviously this route is not favourable and anyone living in metropolitan New South Wales and dealing with these issues should seek to engage to reputable family lawyers in Sydney right away.

Unfortunately, finding ideal Sydney family lawyers may prove difficult if you have never had to engage a solicitor before or if you’re unsure of the skill set your case requires. Luckily, the following information will outline the most important traits you need to look for when seeking Sydney family lawyers to represent you and your interests.

Good recommendations from past clients and peers

You can separate good Sydney family lawyers from average ones by simply looking at the kind of feedback they gave gotten from past clients as well as the recommendations of their peers. A good solicitor will have many glowing reviews about them simply because of the high emotional stakes of this kind of area of law.

For example, if someone won a child custody dispute with the help of the solicitor then they will likely have a very positive review from that client. You should be able to get a sense from looking at the testimonials on their website about how effective they have been in the past with stations similar to your own.

It is likely that you will have relatives and friends who have had to engage Sydney family lawyers in the past and they are always a great place to start your search. If someone you know had a favourable result working with a solicitor then you can ask them for a referral as they will be honest with you about which practitioner you should go to.

Compassion and understanding

When engaging Sydney family lawyers, they obviously need to show a level of compassion and understanding given the complex emotions surrounding your case. While they aren’t meant to act as counsellors, they should recognise the difficulty you are going through and do their best to ease your concerns from a professional perspective.

For example, they won’t just say “it’ll be alright”; they’ll say “don’t worry so much as this is what we can do”. Above all, they should offer practical solutions to the issues you are facing without lying to your or giving you false hope about an ideal outcomes that may not be realistic.

If you hire Sydney family lawyers who don’t seem to be able to sympathise you in a sincere way then they probably aren’t the best choice to go with. This is likely going to be one of the most difficult and emotional times of your life and you need to have a solicitor who is on your side throughout the whole process.

Experience

This is probably the most important thing you need to look for when engaging Sydney family lawyers to assist you in your case. Because of the inherent complexity of this area of law, the best solicitors will often have decades of experience behind them and they will have seen and hear almost every kind of case imaginable.

This positions them to be able to formulate a plan of action for you case very quickly as they will know how the system works and, despite every case being unique, will know the general direction proceedings tend to go.

In Australia, the court system encourages disputing parties to resolve their matters without litigation via processes like negotiation and mediation. The most talented Sydney family lawyers will have special qualifications in mediation techniques such as alternative dispute resolution so that they can facilitate meaningful dialogue between you and your former spouse.

If you have children in the marriage, then it’s especially important to have a solicitor who has experience in child custody negotiations and litigation. Often times this element of a relationship breakdown is the most contentious and requires the skill of an effective solicitor in order to achieve the most ideal result.

Punctuality

When engaging Sydney family lawyers it’s also very important that whoever you hire is punctual and attentive to your needs. That last thing you need is a solicitor who is distracted or fails to correspond with your frequently enough.

While they have their own lives and other cases to deal with, they should be available at the rate they have indicated to you. If they don’t then it’s likely you will do better with another practitioner.