What are the top 10 tips for working with a lawyer?

1. Research your lawyer. Ask your friends and acquaintances for recommendations. Also ask your counselor or therapist.
2. Be prepared for appointments. Bring your list of questions and do your homework. 
3. Know yourself and be candid and forthright with your lawyer. 
4. Bring a friend. Two heads are better than one for remembering what transpired at the meeting with your lawyer. Your friend can also help remind you of what you need to know.
5. Bring your paperwork. Start a file or binder. Ask your lawyer for tips on organizing yourself and your paperwork.
6. If you are having problems with your lawyer, raise them with him or her. Don’t just complain to your friends.
7. Treat others, including your lawyer, the way you would like to be treated. For example, if you have to miss a scheduled appointment, call ahead to reschedule. Be considerate.
8. Talk with your counsellor. If you don’t have one, get one.  Ask your lawyer or your friends for suggestions.
9. If you have children, read: “Tug of War” by Ontario family court Judge Harvey Brownstone, “Joint Custody with a Jerk” by Julie A. Ross and Judy Corcoran, and “We’re Still Family – What Grown Children Have to Say About their Parents’ Divorce” by Constance Ahrons.
10. Be your best self. Model good behaviour. Your children are watching how you behave.

Holly Ann Knott is a divorce and family lawyer and partner in the Knott den Hollander Law Firm in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.