At the same token, attorneys are often referred to as “counselors” in the courtroom. Attorneys when walking past another attorney in the hallway will often say something like, “Hello, counselor” to an attorney they are passing. Certainly, the law license of most attorneys has the words “Attorney and Counselor at Law” on it.
In this regard, attorneys are counselors. Attorneys as well have to be empathetic to their clients. They need to try to put themselves in the shoes of their client to be effective advocates for them. They need to feel what the client feels. They need to try to see what the client sees.
At the same token, a lot of clients can take this and make it mean something unintended. In other words, calling an attorney at an expensive hourly rate on a continued basis to discuss their pain and emotional heartache might seem like a good idea at the time, but it can cause the bill to rise dramatically. It is true as well that while an attorney is a “counselor” in a legal sense, this does not mean that the attorney is necessarily a relationship expert or somebody qualified to dispense therapeutic advice.
For clients who have insurance, they can often save a lot of money by seeing a counselor or therapist in their time of need. With many insurance policies, the client simply pays a co-pay, but a co-pay of $20, $50, or even $100 might pale in comparison to an attorney who charges $200, $300, or $400 an hour. These individuals often have the skill as well to give the relationship advice and therapy that an individual truly needs when going through a divorce or family law matter. At the other end, the attorney can then fulfill their role of dispensing the legal advice an individual needs.
In sum, clients going through a divorce or family matter also need to conserve funds in many instances. Time spent conversing with an attorney about the emotional distress caused by the divorce can often result in no funds being left when a case reaches the critical stages, like depositions, discovery, and trial. For this reason, and because therapists and counselors are trained more appropriately to fulfill this role, many individuals should at least consider using a counselor or therapist versus their attorney for the emotional aspects of their case.
If you are going through a divorce and having a difficult time, Stange Law Firm, PC can help. We can also give referrals to individuals looking for counseling, therapy, or mental health services during a family law matter. Contact us at 1-855-805-0595 or Springfield, IL Divorce Lawyers.