The challenge of getting "the best" family law barrister/solicitor- please advise!

JSman2020

On the challenge of getting the best family law barrister, how does one actually go about that? There is no ratings or review system that I know of out there? Its unfortunately not a modern friendly place like Amazon or Hotels.com, where solicitors & barristers are all rated.

It also seems to still be a complete legal fee money racket in Ireland2020 and is not as clear cut in terms of asset division and maintenance % of income, as in many other Countries.
Going on personal recommendations of other people is also very subjective.
It would be the widely held view on forums that family law process in Ireland falls heavily in the favor of the female, particular if dependent kids involved.
So as a man, I personally have struggled to find many men that have had a "good experience" using solicitors & barristers in an Irish JS process. If anyone knows of a good one that has represented well on the male respondent side, please send me a direct email asap as Im still on the Quest for the Best Family law solicitor & barrister myself.
Im ideally looking for recommendation of a barrister from a male Respondent that has been the full way through the JS process in the Circuit Court in Dublin, with a good articulate barrister that defended your case well.
Thank you.

JSman2020

Despite lockdowns apparently increasing separations, there are not many active posters in this area on JS's on Boards.ie
Anyone in a Court process for divorce and has some views / experience on the above?
Thanks

FishOnABike

Advice would be if possible, to try mediation or collaborative law to come to a mutual legal agreement before going to court, skip the judicial separation and go straight for divorce with both of you asking the court to make a decree of divorce in line with your existing agreement. It makes it a bit less a roll of the dice and if it works can leave both parties feeling they have been dealt with fairly.

The court doesn't have to stick to whatever terms you have already agreed but unless they are unfair there would want to be reasonable grounds to vary them.

No point in going through the mill (and paying) twice over for a judicial separation and then a divorce.

Rezident

JSman2020 wrote: »

Despite lockdowns apparently increasing separations, there are not many active posters in this area on JS's on Boards.ie
Anyone in a Court process for divorce and has some views / experience on the above?
Thanks

Yep, as you have correctly stated, the family law system in Ireland is significantly biased towards females and openly biased against fathers. My wife has broken the Court Order nine times so far with impunity, if I broke it twice I would be jailed (Judges do not want to jail a mother with young kids so Mothers can break Court Orders and defeat the legal system easily). Obviously the solicitors all know this and presumably advise their female clients accordingly.



The system is so biased against fathers that, financially, many fathers are better off in the end representing themselves (save yourself 10k-20k for similar results, the Judges are excellent in my experience, they can usually see what is really going on in the end), however, you will need a lot of information to do this. Personally I used a good solicitor (who knows the Judge well and has a good idea of what the Judge may do) first before representing yourself long-term. The problem is a lot of solicitors are not taking on more family law cases now, they appear to be overwhelmed with cases plus a lot of older solicitors have stopped working due to COVID risks so it's hard to find one plus they do not have enough resources for all of the cases they have already taken on.


Citizen's Information Family Law solicitors can give you some basic info. Men's Aid, if they are open again, would have a lot of men who have been through this nightmare, so talk to them if you can. There are a couple of good groups in the UK (Put Kids First, Father 4 Justice, Children Need Voices etc.) but obviously they are based on the UK legal system so that is more the wider information than specific legal advice, although some similarities. Sadly, I could not find much support in Ireland.



No matter how abusive your partner behaves try at all costs to keep her on-side as much as possible as she can and will ruin your life completely so forget about any notions of fair play. Take it on the chin and never lose your temper with her or in Court.


Basically, steel yourself, it is a nightmare for men and when you realise how significantly biased the legal system is against men, you will be shocked. You would not believe me. And if there are kids involved good luck with the joys of Parental Alienation - surely the greatest injustice in this country today, everyone knows it is wrong, so many single mothers do it, and nobody does anything to stop it. I think it is one of the main factors in Ireland's depressing male suicide statistics. Good Luck.