The Hait Family Law Method - Hait Family Law

The Hait Family Law Method was born out of my commitment to change the way people are represented and treated by their attorneys throughout any legal process.

The movie called Marriage Story that aired in 2019 reinforced everyone’s perceptions about lawyers. It depicted a couple navigating their divorce and went into great detail about the effect their choice of lawyers had on the whole process. I think it would be fair to say that the attorneys made it more difficult emotionally for the couple and their son. (And in my opinion there was some rather unfair asset division as well.)

Divorce IS difficult, disruptive and an extremely emotional process. I found that out the hard way when I went through it myself. My divorce was a long drawn out process that resulted in extensive litigation in the United States and Israel. And it happened because of very poor legal advice on both sides, coupled with an archaic legal system here in Israel. Not only did it wind up being an extremely long and expensive process but the emotional toll it took on my family was appalling. In the end I won custody of my three small children and was subsequently fortunate enough to meet my life partner to whom I am now happily married.

The Hait Family Law Method is legal representation re-envisioned

Divorce is one of the most stressful situations one will ever encounter. You didn’t go into your marriage expecting it to fail. You’re experiencing anger, grief, anxiety and fear. And to top it off it’s precisely at this time, when you feel the most vulnerable, that you’ll be dependent on a stranger who works in a field that has a terrible reputation. Yes I’m talking about divorce attorneys. We’ve all heard friends recounting their bad experiences and of course we’ve seen the movies and read the books.

Commitment to Serve

But imagine if you could choose an attorney who was something completely different from all the stories you’ve heard. If you had one who:

Encouraged you to seriously consider marriage counselling before beginning divorce proceedings
Was focused on helping you understand the system.
Provided a wealth of easily accessible educational materials so you could learn about your rights and make well informed decisions.
Spent time getting to know you.
Shared tips on which documents you needed and how to gather them.
Was easy to reach.
Gave you undivided attention.
Encouraged you to settle your differences with a mediation agreement instead of costly, lengthy litigation.
Did everything to de-escalate the situation with your soon-to-be ex.

Imagine if your attorney did all that, and what the result would be. You would have someone you trusted to both guide and protect you. That is the commitment to serve which is the basis of The Hait Family Law Method.

Trust through Partnership

A partnership is the alliance between two people with a defined mutual goal. Both bring something unique to the fulfillment of that goal. And in a strong partnership they empower each other as well. The Hait Family Law Method helps build this trust in a number of ways.

The attorney brings his or her extensive knowledge and experience with the legal system and a commitment to provide resources to empower the client.

The client brings his or her hopes for the future and knowledge of all the family members.

Together they define the goal and come up with a strategy for a resolution that works best for the family’s legal challenge.

Education

Knowledge leads to understanding and confidence. An educated, confident person is better able to make good choices.

With this in mind I have taken the time to author quite a few books and reports over the last few years and I’ve made countless videos. I designed these materials to help you understand the legal system and the laws in Israel as well as share some proven strategies developed through my years of practicing family law. These eBooks are all available, free of charge, to whomever is interested. If you’re contemplating divorce, understanding more about your legal situation is the first step towards building a better future for you and your family. (I also have a number of books and videos on preparing for retirement, wills and advance health directives)

When you contact me initially, I strongly encourage you to download the free e-Book and reports relevant to your circumstances before our initial meeting. This gives you a number of advantages.

You become familiar with the legal system you are about to enter.
It helps you understand the logistics of what you may be facing and familiarizes you with some options.
You’ll become aware of some of the documents you’ll need to begin gathering.
You’ll have a chance to formulate your thoughts based on reliable information.

But education isn’t just for the client! In this partnership my role is to represent you with compassion and support and to do that I need to spend some time getting to know you. Within the eBooks are suggestions to help you sort through some feelings about this new situation and I’ll ask you to share some of those details with me as well as your thoughts about your future. Of course everything you say is protected by attorney-client privilege which means you can speak to me with confidence. If a client needs the support of a counselor, a social worker or a financial advisor, I will recommend a number of highly regarded professionals.

Evaluation and Preparation

Our goal is a divorce agreement that results in a legal dissolution of your marriage with provisions made for equitable division of assets, child support and custody.

After developing our good working relationship we can take full advantage of our time together to build your case. I’ll take you through the tools I provide to help you record relevant incidents and gather documents and evidence. We’ll discuss the best court to file in, the laws that are relevant, and your best case scenario and how to achieve it. I’ll put together a personalized legal strategy for you – taking into account what your priorities are and making sure that you’re protected and comfortable with the plan. I take care of all the filings and paper work and keep you updated every step along the way.

De-escalation

The break up of a family is very distressing and can have a long lasting negative effect on the spouses, their kids and the whole extended family. I believe family is the most important institution in our lives, even after divorce, and I encourage an approach that protects it as much as possible. After all, especially if you have kids, your family will be sharing events for probably most of your lives. When spouses are able to part amicably they don’t become the center of the, bar and bat mitzvahs, the weddings etc. The focus remains on the celebration as opposed to worrying about the hostility between Mom and Dad.

Mediation has proven to be the most effective method to settle differences between divorcing spouses. It’s a helpful process for resolving disputes because the mediator or representing lawyers are not emotionally involved. This makes us better able to assist them in reaching a mutually satisfactory settlement. We can help identify obstacles and develop strategies for overcoming them. I always advise using mediation as a means of coming to a divorce agreement. Litigation (or suing your spouse) is costly, emotionally draining and could drag on for years.

Even if we wind up going into litigation after all, we can work together to avoid inflaming the situation with a well researched and planned strategy going forward.

Resolution

Our work together is done when you and your ex-spouse have obtained your divorce papers after reaching an agreement. Cases take anywhere from three months to several years (if litigation is involved). It’s going to be a tough time but I encourage you to hold on. When you’ve worked through the five stages of divorce (which I talk about in one of my books) you will be ready to begin a new stage of your life.

The compassion, support and empowerment you’ll experience with representation, using The Hait Family Law Method, will go a very long way towards a solid new beginning.

Visit Hait Family Law for more information or contact me directly jay.hait@orcheidin.co.il