Although you can get a divorce without a lawyer, it is not advisable. Especially if there is money or other property involved and especially when there are young children involved. In these situations it is important to hire a divorce lawyer to ensure you are getting good advice and direction that is needed during the divorce process. This also ensures you get everything you deserve out of the court hearings.
Experienced with state laws
An attorney that is experienced in divorce will best know the laws in your state covering the dividing of assets and any other items of value. In many cases, a spouse is often entitled to retirement or other income that the other spouse will receive in the future.
Knows important areas
If the marriage has any issues that are complicated to settle, an attorney can be a much-needed resource. An example of these is child custody and issues of support, substantial income, debts, assets or future assets such as inheritance. An attorney will protect your interests in a divorce.
Stressful time
Divorce also is a very stressful time for all who are involved. Hiring a divorce lawyer to complete a divorce is one way to reduce this stress. The attorney will need to gather information from you, and then they will take care of everything else, leaving you more time to take care of yourself as well as your family. Let the attorney take care of the legal work.
Mistakes that take forever to fix
People can easily make mistakes when handling their own divorce as the legal system is very complicated and the stress of a divorce makes matters even more difficult. You can forget one thing – such as healthcare or credit card debt and it can be a substantial mistake in the proceedings. Such a mistake can cause harm financial as well as require future legal proceedings to have the item corrected. With an attorney it helps to assure your case is being handled properly the first time and you can avoid any mistakes that you might regret for the rest of your life.
Children
And of course, there is the custody of children, child support and how much time they will spend with each parent. This is certainly not an area that you want any mistakes in.
So, if you are getting a divorce – hire an attorney.