Family breakdowns are tough. The dissolution of a once-loving union causes great distress, and the emotional toll can be difficult to comprehend if you haven’t been in this situation before. But it’s important to remember you have friends and family there to support you, as well as legal options if there are certain assets you want to safeguard.

Family lawyers can provide sound legal advice regarding your separation, including matters involving childcare and property settlements. It is important to remember that whilst the emotional toll may be significant, you don’t want to let them override your rights to retaining any of your particular assets.

With this in mind, here is how you find the right team for the job:

• Do your research

When it comes to the best family law Sydney CBD can provide, you must conduct your research. Start by searching the profession in your area, narrowing down a list of practitioners who specialise in the field. The first thing you should always look at is their Google review, shortlisting any practitioners who have at least a four-star rating (anything lower might be questionable!).

You can then go on to read their Google reviews and see what other past-clients say about the service they received. Were they happy with the way the practitioners handled their proceedings? Did they handle any specific elements like child support, custody etc. particularly well?

Once you have found a team with a specialised knowledge and happy client reviews then you are certainly on the way to finding your perfect team.

• Hold a consultation

Hold an initial consultation with the firm and gauge how they are about your case. Are they compassionate to your situation? Do they appear to have the right knowledge pertaining to your specific case? In this specific field there must be a sense of compassion alongside all the legal expertise, as this is a field where emotions naturally run high.

So, when you hold your initial consultation with the firm, be sure to get a sense of both their expertise and their compassion for your case - it could be the difference between enlisting the experts and those without the experience to provide a winning outcome.

• Request references

Google reviews are the best place to start, but your prospective firm should be able to provide you with references from past clients who should be happy to provide a glowing testimonial for the firm. This is where you have the chance to gain a more profound understanding of what the firm did specifically well for their client/s.

You might find here that the firm did something particularly well for a client that is relatable to your specific case, thus essentially ensuring their expertise in the matter.

• Are they ready to go?

You want the legal side of things to be taken care of pretty soon. After all, this is a troubling time of life that you would like to put behind you, and so you want to be sure that you have a team who is ready to go to work on resolving the matter as soon as possible.

If the prospective firm is vague about when they can go to work for you - be alarmed - you will not be their priority and this could cause you serious trouble if, for example, your ex spouse has efficient representation in their corner.

These tips will help you find the right legal representation for your case.