If you’re at the start of your divorce process, you’ll be considering representing yourself rather than hiring a lawyer, thinking you’ll save time and money by doing so. If your marriage was very short, if both of you’re committed to ending your marriage without a legal or financial battle, if you’ve got no children or assets, and if neither of you wants or must receive spousal support (alimony) from the opposite , then you’ll be ready to process your own divorce using a kit or online tools.
However, getting divorced is often a complex and stressful process, and having a lawyer on your side won’t only make sure that you’ve got access to vital legal advice, but also, by hiring an attorney you’ll have someone to rest on who can assist you through the divorce proceedings. A lawyer is going to be there for you, and can be ready to assist you get through this difficult time as painlessly as possible. If you or your spouse has begun the method of filing for a divorce, here are just a couple of of the reasons to consult an experienced divorce attorney.
Even if you agree on everything and may come to a good agreement on your own, you’ll still need a divorce attorney to draft an agreement which will be accepted by the court.
If you do not have legal experience and try to do this on your own, the court might not fully understand your agreement, leading to a divorce decree that doesn’t accurately state what you and your spouse want. The court also can reject your agreement entirely if it doesn’t follow the law.
When an attorney drafts the agreement, you’ll rest assured that the decree will state exactly what you and your spouse want. An attorney also will confirm that the language is clear and enforceable.
In addition to drafting the agreement, your attorney also will file the washington state divorce papers with every necessary paperwork and motions as a part of the divorce process. If you attempt this on your own, you run the risk of your case getting dismissed if you don’t file the appropriate washington state divorce papers at the correct time otherwise you file it incorrectly.
While you’ll attempt this on your own, as most states provide the documents to their citizens freed from charge, it’s still difficult if you do not have legal expertise. These documents also represent the bare minimum of requirements, and sometimes fail to deal with everything necessary for your unique family. The last item you would like is for your case to get thrown out thanks to procedural issues. This puts you right back at square one.
Every state has its own divorce laws, and your divorce attorney should understand the intricacies of divorce in your particular state. Not only do they understand the laws surrounding the division of assets, but also spousal support and child custody.
They can also use their professional experience and relationships with local judges, other divorce attorneys, and court personnel to offer you a much better idea of how your case will proceed through the courts.
