Unlike divorce, in emergency medical care, first-aid responders are paramedics, ER nurses, and doctors. When the call comes in, first-aid responders must act quickly, competently, and compassionately. If a first-aid responder attempts treatment that does not resolve the problem or, even worse, causes more trauma, they may be liable to the patient.
When providing first-aid treatment, first-aid responders must be guided by the 3Ps, which are:
1. Prevent further injury
2. Preserve life
3. Promote recovery
Divorce lawyers, paralegals, and law clerks are often dealing with family emergencies. These can include child abuse, domestic violence, child abduction, dissipation of assets, and so many more circumstances that require urgent care.
Just like in emergency medical care, divorce lawyers and their professional staff must also abide by the 3P’s.
In emergency situations, divorce professionals need to know when there is an emergency and what to do and what not to do. For instance, advising a client to report an allegation of child abuse to Children Aid Society or the police may not be wise if the evidence is scant and the complaint is dismissed. In alleged domestic violence situations, advising a client to clandestinely remove the children from the matrimonial home to an undisclosed location could possibly prejudice the alleged victim and empower the alleged abuser. Not acting speedily and with the utmost of expertise and skill in child abduction cases could have devastating results on any future relationship with the children.
In divorce, just like in medicine, the first of the 3P’s is to protect the client from further prejudice.
Preserving life in emergency situations—the second P—has an equivalency in divorce. Many spouses who exit abusive relationships have deep scars, guilt, and fear. Their anxiety is often an obstacle to agreeing to a legal process that is needed to save them and their children from greater personal, emotional, or financial harm. But victims in such situations are often so clouded by their trauma that they cannot decide whether to report their spouse to the police and/or seek emergency court orders. In these dangerous circumstances, the speed and quality of legal care are matters of life, safety, and security.
The third P, promoting recovery, is always the goal of a compassionate divorce lawyer. Often times, the problems that led to the marital discord will not end with divorce. The relationships between the spouses, the children of divorce, and the surrounding family must be preserved. That is why the advice and guidance of the divorce lawyer are so critical. There are many lawyers who are very family-oriented and child-centric in their legal representation. However, there are some lawyers who measure their success by the amount of damage they can cause to the other spouse. Sadly, there are many cases of high-conflict divorce lawyers causing significant damage to family relationships and leaving long-term scarring on these relationships long after the case ends.
That is why it is so critical for the separating spouse to wisely choose their divorce lawyer so as to ensure that the family achieves a recovery that is genuine, long-term, and preserves healthy family relationships. Experienced divorce lawyers are well aware of the many methods, tools, and resources available to achieve a positive outcome and a recovery from a family breakdown.
Just like in medicine, emergencies also occur in divorce law and when they do, it is critical that the separating spouse retain an experienced divorce lawyer with the proper level of professional and legal skills and an understanding of the immediate safety and emotional needs of the spouse and the long-term effects of the advice provided to the spouse so as to ensure a positive outcome and preserved family relations.
At Benmor Family Law Group, our multi-disciplinary team of divorce experts fully understands the emotional and financial impact of divorce. We will help you through separation, divorce, mediation, divorce coaching, and parent coordination, our full-service family law firm expertly supports you, guides you, and represents you – throughout your case.
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