People often wonder if they can save themselves the expense of divorce lawyers by taking a DIY approach. Handling any legal matter without the benefit of counsel is already a bad idea, but going through a divorce without a lawyer is asking for trouble. You should hire a lawyer to help you through a divorce for the following four reasons.
Details
Even the most amicable divorce is still a lawsuit. The devil is in the details when it comes to suing anyone, so you need to work with someone who best understands the law. An attorney can help you go through the details of the divorce and any eventual agreement. If the other side pushes the case before a judge, a lawyer can help you answer the court's questions. Every step of the way, you'll benefit from having an attorney check the details.
Notably, a detail-oriented approach is especially important if the divorcing couple is dealing with many assets. One party might be worried that the other is hiding assets from the process. A lawyer can assess whether or not that's happening and then help their client decide what, if anything, to do about it.
Objectivity
Divorces can get emotional, and emotional people aren't always objective in assessing legal problems. For example, someone may be so mad at their ex that they'll agree to anything just to end the marriage quickly. That can lead to objectively bad decisions like giving away too many assets or even allowing your ex to obtain stronger child custody rights than they should have. Divorce lawyers can objectively review proposals for divorce agreements and tell their clients what they think. Especially if you're not feeling particularly clear-headed about the process, a lawyer can be invaluable.
Shielding
Once more, the emotional nature of divorce can be problematic. However, divorce lawyers make excellent shields. If your ex wants to have a big argument about the divorce, you can tell them to discuss it with your lawyer. In fact, letting the two sides' divorce lawyers sort things out while they wait to sign the paperwork is usually the best way to shield everyone from some of the uglier parts of the process.
Tailored Advice
No two marriages are quite the same, and that means no two divorces are the same, either. Some people in relatively simple situations, such as childless couples without significant assets, can get away with using simpler documents. However, most people are going to need slight modifications to deal with assets, debts, taxes, child custody and support issues, and spousal support.
For more information, reach out to divorce attorneys near you.
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