by Dorothy Ripka of Cordell & Cordell, P.C.

This case is uncontested.  We are using one attorney.  My wife hired him.  

First things first, an attorney can ethically only represent one person in a divorce.  One person retains the attorney, and is therefore entitled to the benefit of legal advice.  If your wife hires the attorney, then the attorney only owes an ethical obligation to her.  This attorney's obligation is to advise her of the positives and negatives and even the unknowns of the agreement that the two of you may or may not have.  She will receive the benefit of this advice, not you. 

What is this Decree and What do I do with it?

by Dorothy Ripka of Cordell & Cordell, P.C.

Your Divorce Decree, as it is called in most states, may well be the most important piece of paper you own.  To be frank it is not a piece of paper, usually it is quite the opposite, a large hulking mass of papers filled with legal terms that you are not sure even your attorney understands.  Let me first assure you that most likely your attorney did understand all of it. 

by Dorothy Ripka of Cordell & Cordell, P.C.

How can a woman represent me as a father in family court?

It is a common question- Is it better to have a man or a woman represent me in family court? 

The short answer is- It is better to have a competent attorney who cares about your case and will provide you with the kind of representation that you are paying for. 

by Dorothy Ripka, JD of Cordell & Cordell, PC

The finalization of your divorce is a moment you have been working toward for some time. It had been a vague point on the horizon throughout a long and difficult process during which you have no doubt learned much about yourself and your ex-spouse. But now that it is final, are you prepared for what lies ahead?

Although the finalization is the end of a process as well as the legal end of a marriage, you have no doubt anticipated that it is also a beginning of sorts. There may be some loose ends that need to be tied off in order to ensure that you can move forward deliberately without having to revisit issues that can potentially throw a wrench in your new plans.

Below are a few things that I can advise you need to do if they apply to you:

by Dorothy Ripka, JD of Cordell & Cordell, PC

When a person first arrives at an attorney’s office, the first thing on my most people's minds is that they need to find a lawyer, then all of their problems will be solved.  The last thing most people think about is that the role that they must play in their own divorce.  Your lawyer can only be as effective as you make them. 

This is a startling statement to many.  So take a moment to consider it this way: Who knows your life better than you and your spouse?  Who has the most access to information regarding your children and assets?  Who has the most to gain and/or lose in this case?  In other words, while any good attorney will be vested in a good result in your case, that attorney does not have to live your life the divorce is finalized.