“People demand a lot of the justice system and they demand things that it can’t deliver.”
– Helen Garner
During separation and divorce, people often focus on their rights and entitlements. There are also responsibilities and obligations to factor in. At the end of the day, most say they are looking for a “just” or “fair” outcome. Some demand “justice”.
Concepts like ‘justice’ and ‘fairness’ are not defined the same way by all. What might be ‘fair’ to you may appear completely ‘unfair’ to someone else. That is way it’s critical to understand what you are looking for and how best to get it.
Too many people make the mistake of thinking that a court case will lead to the ‘justice’ they seek, only to be disappointed when they find out that the court system cannot give them what they truly want. Think about the person who separates after learning about their spouse’s extra-marital affairs. The person is hurt, betrayed, frightened, and angry. They may want to see their spouse “pay” for their indiscretions. Going to court seems like a great idea until they realize that in most circumstances, a spouse’s behaviour is not relevant to the legal issues.
Hiring a lawyer on a limited scope basis can help you to pursue the ‘justice’ you are seeking by working on a specific task or step in the process.
Hiring a lawyer on a legal coaching basis can help you to better understand what you are truly trying to achieve – what ‘justice’ means to you – and the various ways to continue to move towards that reality as the process unfolds.
Check back next week, ‘K’ is for …