The HFLO Way
How It Works
1. The Listening Interview
Be heard and understood
2. Options Explanation
Outlining paths to move forward
3. Onboarding
Establishing the formal Client/Attorney relationship
4. Collecting Information and Materials
Gathering more information
5. Starting the Divorce Process
The next steps
The Listening Interview
The HFLO way begins with a listening interview. The goal of the listening interview is for you to be heard and understood. We will ask you questions so that we can come to an authentic understanding of your situation and why you want to divorce.
During the Listening Interview, we will cover following matters and more:
- The current situation/status of your marriage
- Your marriage’s problems and stress points
- Whether violence or addiction are factors
- Whether you face physical or emotional safety issues
- Your concerns and fears
- Your children and your priorities for their education and upbringing
- Your child custody preferences and concerns
- Your financial situation
- Your specific preferences about financial assets and property
- Your current and future living arrangements
- Your current lifestyle and lifestyle adjustments a divorce might entail
- Your need for alimony or spousal support
- Your thoughts on how much cooperation or conflict is likely in the divorce, and how much you can tolerate
After doing as thorough of a job of listening to your concerns, fears, hopes and goals, Attorney Nick will then take some days to review notes and develop options for your path forward. He will present this in his Path Options Presentation
Options Explanation
Your divorce options will depend on the complexity of your case. Based on what he has heard during the Listening Interview, Nick will outline two to three basic paths forward for you and your family.
Your options will hinge upon the complexity of your case, the detail level of your divorce agreement, the amount of control you want in the divorce agreement, the needs of your children, the cooperative or conflicting nature of your relationship with your spouse, the amount of stress you’re willing to endure, how much you’re able to spend, how quickly you want to drive your divorce to completion, and how much professional assistance you want.
HFLO will help you determine the amount of detail your agreement should include, based on how complex your case is. How detailed the agreement is will depend in part on what you and your spouse prefer and can agree on.
Even the most cooperative and agreeable spouses find themselves in need of assistance in separating themselves legally, financially, and socially. The longer you’ve been married, the longer your children will be co-parented by you separately, and the more property you own jointly, the greater the chances are that differences in priorities and values will cause you and your spouse to encounter legal and logistical issues that are difficult to resolve without knowledgeable guidance.
HFLO is here to help.
Path Option General Framework
The General Framework for HFLO Path Options takes into account the following.
The level of detail to be spelled out in your parenting and financial agreements with your spouse depends in large part on how much you are able to cooperate with each other. The stress of divorce can cause even spouses who want to cooperate to discover that their expectations and values about money and childrearing are more difficult to agree on than they expected. Starting from a good path option can help any divorcing couple, whether they prefer a flexible, relatively simple agreement, or they are at odds with each other and want all the details locked down.
The details and responsibilities spelled out in financial and parenting arrangements have a long-lasting effect on children of divorce, not to mention their parents. Even amicable divorces lead to serious disagreements over parenting priorities and preferences, including fair calculations of spousal support. In his Pathways Presentation, and throughout the divorce process, Nick will help you to identify and evaluate the best options for your family.
The Pathways Presentation also takes into account your values and priorities for the outcome of the divorce, and to what extent enhanced advocacy for your interests is necessary. Enhanced advocacy for your interests often requires increased conflict with your spouse, more stress for you, and higher costs. Nick will walk you through the benefits and drawbacks of these intensified options.
Onboarding
If and when you decide you want to become a client of HFLO, we will start you on the Onboarding process that establishes the formal Client/Attorney relationship. In the Client/Attorney relationship, Nick will take responsibility for advising you on the legal matters concerning your divorce. You will have complete privacy regarding anything you discuss with Nick as your divorce attorney.
Usually, family law attorneys require a retainer fee once the Client/Attorney relationship is established but at HFLO, Nick will require only a down payment to formally establish the relationship. This down payment will go to your total fee and you will have a 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee in which you can get a full refund if you are not satisfied with the service you have received.
During the Onboarding process, Nick will give you the overview of where your case is headed and he will work to establish realistic expectations you can hold through your divorce process, realistic expectations of likely outcomes.
Collecting Information and Materials
Assets
- Account statements
- Bank accounts
- Investment accounts
- Retirement accounts
- Insurance policies
- Real estate deeds
- Inventory of other valuables—cars, jewelry, collectibles, furniture, memberships
Debts
- Mortgage
- Lines of credit
- Credit cards
- Loans
General financial information
- A rough monthly budget
- Tax returns
Starting the Divorce Process
1.
Filing Paperwork
2.
Mediation
3.
Serving Papers
4.
Discovery/Experts
5.
Appearing in court
(on paper or in person)
6.
Achieving Agreement
7.
Conclusion
8.
Ongoing Relationship