Monday 13 August 2012

Why Emotional Understanding is Just as Important as Legal Knowledge


If you have had occasion to seek the advice and assistance of a legal professional in any area of the law, you will know that the whole experience can be very stressful, regardless of the outcome. The path that you may take as a result of this advice can be life-changing, so it’s important when choosing a lawyer to represent you in any legal matter, to make sure that not only does the person have the depth of knowledge you expect, but also the person understands you, your particular situation and what your objectives are in pursuing legal action.

Choosing your legal representative, then, is not simply a matter of finding someone on Google, but taking the time to ask around friends and relatives for referrals. Select a person, make an appointment to discuss your situation, and if there is no feeling of rapport, repeat the process until you feel comfortable that this particular person understands and empathises with you.

Nowhere is this selection process more important than in family law, since the very nature of the issues speaks to the deepest of human relationships. The family lawyers you choose to represent your interests should have extensive experience in this area of law. Through research and contacting the relevant professional associations, records of qualifications and reputations can be checked.

What is not so clear, nor easy to assess, is the intangible attributes. Qualities such as credibility, tenacity and compassion are all desirable in a legal representative. Credibility is reflective of how the person has conducted themselves in the past in other legal representations. Tenacity is that “do or die” quality of never giving up until the family lawyers Sydney are satisfied that everything than can be done has been done. Compassion speaks for itself and is demonstrated through every-day interactions with people and a willingness to look at a situation and feel for the people involved.

Having all these attributes in one person is possible, and indeed many in the legal fraternity already possess them. While the law is often perceived as simply interpreting what is meant by legislation and precedent, it is the intent behind the written word that is equally important, and it does have weight. Judges consider many aspects of a case including the actual law itself but also how a decision will impact on the persons involved. Perhaps it is this ability that has lead to the belief that an effective judge must also possess the wisdom to look beyond the mere letter of the law.

As anyone whose relationship has deteriorated beyond repair can attest, getting the right lawyer to represent them leaves a person in a much better place to cope with the emotional side of the whole situation. Knowing that any property settlement or child custody issue is being handled by someone who understands the family means that everyone can start working through their emotions without worrying about the quality of their legal advice.

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