Study: Parents with Family Law Attorneys More Likely to Reach Agreement

Popular co-parenting app Custody X Change recently conducted a family law study exploring the likelihood of a successful legal agreement when a family lawyer is on board. Unsurprisingly, parents who were represented by a divorce attorney tended to have better outcomes than those who attempted DIY custody negotiations or attended court without legal representation. Here’s what you should know about why.

Results When One Parent Has an Attorney

On average, the time it took to resolve a child custody matter when only one parent had a lawyer was 12 months, or one year. The cost of these negotiations was roughly $7,200.

This group was the least likely to reach settlement — just 63% of cases where only one parent was represented reached the settlement phase. The cost of these cases was a staggering 1,340% more expensive than DIY cases, but 150% less than the cost of cases where both parents had Family Law attorney representation.

Results When Neither Parent Has an Attorney

When neither parent had legal representation, the average length of time to case resolution was 6 months and the cost around $500. However, these parents were also the least likely to have joint custody. Only 70% of cases where parents had elected to remain unrepresented were resolved with equal custody.

Ironically, it’s arguably statistically better for neither parent to be represented than for one parent to be represented. If you are the unrepresented parent in your Long Island child custody negotiations, you run the risk of spending significant amounts of money for less-than-ideal outcomes.

However, parents that were unrepresented were the most likely to be dissatisfied with the outcomes of their cases. A whopping 41% of survey respondents without attorneys reported that they were less than moderately satisfied with their case outcome.

Results When Both Parents Have Attorneys

When both parents hired their own family law lawyers, the cost of resolution skyrocketed to $18,000 with a 7 month time frame, just 1 month longer than DIY negotiations. That said, their cases were the most likely to be successful. A staggering 86% of these cases reached a settlement, compared to 71% of cases that were DIY and, as mentioned above, just 63% reached a settlement when only one lawyer was involved.

82% of cases where both parents had legal representation ended with joint custody. This compares to 71% and 70% for cases where one parent was represented and DIY cases, respectively. Of parents that were surveyed who had attorneys, 74% of them reported that they were pleased with the outcomes of their cases.

Parents and Children Are Happier when Family Law Attorneys Are Involved

The study also collected data on how satisfied people were with the outcome of their case and how well adjusted their children seemed to be following the legal process. Overall, 79% of people who responded to the survey had been represented by an attorney during their child custody proceedings.

Approximately 70% of individuals with legal representation were moderately or extremely satisfied with the outcome of their case. 52% of people rated their legal experience as good or better, and roughly the same number of respondents reported that their children appeared to be coping well following case closure. Only 14% of respondents with settled cases reported that their children did not seem to be well adjusted after case closure.

Involved In a Child Custody Dispute? Contact an Experienced Long Island Family Lawyer Now

Although it’s initially more expensive to resolve a child custody dispute when both parents are working with a Long Island family law attorney, the benefits clearly outweigh the increase in cost. The emotional, mental, and financial expense of attempting to resolve the issue on your own without legal representation, or worse with only one party being represented, is very high.

At Hornberger Verbitsky, P.C., we have the skills and expertise to provide you with seasoned legal advocacy when you need it most. Don’t gamble with your future or the future of your children when involved in a child custody case in New York — your family deserves compassionate, reliable representation from a lawyer you can trust.

Contact our office today to schedule your initial consultation by dialing 631-923-1910 or fill out the short form below to learn more about how we can help.