To get so close to a person & develop a feeling of dependency & then make efforts to move away permanently & disown all obligations to each other devastates many individuals.

The pain & frustration gets worse if the divorce is acrimonious, full of accusations & counter-accusations. Issues like child-custody, sharing of assets & liabilities & maintenance claims spoil the atmosphere & there’re frequent court appearances to resolve the case.

In such cases, it becomes essential to select a competent & qualified high street divorce solicitor who can give you excellent legal advice backed by years of experience & steer you through the entire process rapidly & with minimum hassle. Such solicitors charge by the hour & the expense in *some* cases can burn a big hole in the contestant’s pocket.

For uncontested divorce cases where both the partners agree to split amicably & on their own come to an agreement on financial & child-custody issues, a host of on line divorce service providers now exist who can get them a divorce rapidly & cheaply without their ever having to go straight to court.

As a general rule, to make the divorce process easier, one should attempt to be as amicable as possible & not use the proceedings to ‘get back’ at the partner. It’s better to take the emotions out of the affair & treat it as a purely legal process that should be got over with as soon as possible.

Choosing a High Street Solicitor

There are hundreds of divorce solicitors competing for your business & it can be quite hard to make an informed choice. But it’s important for you to be very careful in choosing the one who literally fits your bill, otherwise you may come to grief later.

1. Ask Around ? Word of mouth is still the best & most reliable way to get advice about a solicitor. Your neighbours, relatives, friends & office colleagues may know some one who was raving about how good their divorce solicitor was. There is more. These are the contacts you should utilise as such recommendations are based closely on personal experience.

2. Tap Other Sources ? Citizen’s Advice Bureaus, yellow pages & searching on the Internet can provide you a load of information about divorce solicitors in your area. Pick up the ones you think look the most professional.

3. Narrow Down Your Choice ? Once you have made a list of about ½ a dozen solicitors who specialise in divorce & family law in your area, it’s time to narrow down your choice.

4. Meet them ? Give a visit to the solicitors on your list for a preliminary discussion about your case. Enquire about the experience of the solicitor, what kind of cases they specialise in, how knowledgeable & professional they are, can they act as a mediator, what kind of support they provide, what are their office hours, how complex they think your case is & how much time they estimate it will take to resolve in the court. Most importantly, do not actually be embarrassed :oops: about asking how much you’ll be charged. Be crystal clear about the billing ? do they have a fixed rate for their various services or do they charge by the hour? Never select a solicitor whom you can not afford financially regardless of how professional & competent they look.

5. Make Your Decision ? Based closely on your interactions with the solicitors, make a decision. Rely on your gut feel as to with whom you’ll be most comfortable working & discussing your personal details. There is more. The final decision should be based closely on factors like the personality of the solicitor (courteous or self-important), how the staff treats you (professionally or with impatience), the commuting distance to the solicitor’s office and, of course, the cost involved.

Choosing a Web-based Divorce Service Provider

Choosing an on line divorce service provider is easier than short-listing a high street lawyer because in the former case you do not have to visit their office with a hawk eye to size them up.

All the information you really need to take a decision is available on your desktop in the comfort of your home. The main thing you have to check is if the company gives a quick, simple & affordable divorce solution.

1. Ask around ? As in the case of a high street solicitor, personal recommendation is ideal for choosing an on line divorce company. If the advice is genuine, it removes the need to do time-consuming research on your own.

2. Search Online ? You should use a good search engine to come up with names of some on line divorce service providers. Short-list at least five or six names that look promising.

3. Browse their Websites ? Go through the websites meticulously to see what services they offer. How much do they charge? How expensive are their downloadable legal documents? How much time do divorce cases take with them?

4. Check their Pedigree ? Go through the ‘About Company’ section of the providers ? how old are they, are they established & reputed, how many cases have they handled until now & are they members of any industry association? Read the testimonials from other clients. Do the providers have a press section with paper clippings that feature their name? Since reporters only quote executives of successful & prominent companies, it’s a good sign if the name of an on line divorce service provider finds mention in newspaper articles. Other things you should look out for are whether the company is ISO certified, gives 24/7 support & offers a refund if you’re not satisfied with its service.

5. Make a Choice ? After considering all things carefully, especially how affordable & quick the service looks & the reputation of the provider, you should make your final choice.

James Walsh is a freelance writer & copy editor. For lots more information on getting a Divorce see http://www.quickie-divorce.com