Divorces can be messy, stressful and expensive. Lawyers often take the blame for these things, but not investing in an attorney can make your divorce even more painful and costly than it needs to be. If you don’t have a good lawyer by your side at the start of your divorce, you’ll regret your decision to go pro se. Here’s why:
Lawyers Help You Avoid Mistakes
People hire divorce lawyers for the same reason they hire builders: they’re not experts. The legal system is complicated. Stress from the divorce can also cloud your judgement, making it more difficult to think clearly.
A seemingly simple mistake, like overestimating or underestimating the value of an asset, can have a significant impact on the outcome of your divorce.
Hiring a lawyer can help you avoid making costly mistakes simply because they know and understand the law. An attorney who specializes in divorce cases will know exactly how the process works, and ensure that all of your financial information is correct.
Lawyers Provide Expert Advice
When you hire a lawyer, you protect your interests. He or she will make sure that you receive your fair share in the divorce. You may be entitled to retirement or other future income, depending on the state you live in and your situation. If you decide to forgo hiring a lawyer, you may walk away with less than you’re entitled to.
Lawyers become even more valuable when marriages have complicated issues to settle, like child support, custody, substantial assets and future assets. If you want to protect your interests in your divorce, hire a lawyer.
Lawyers Minimize Stress
There’s no way around it – divorce is stressful. However, hiring a lawyer can reduce some of this stress by taking care of nearly all aspects of the divorce. You will need to supply some information, but your lawyer will take care of the paperwork and the majority of the divorce process. By eliminating this burden, you will have more time to take care of yourself and everything else that goes along with a divorce.
Lawyers Ensure That Your Agreement Is Clear and Binding
Any divorce documents that you present will be reviewed by the courts, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will be interpreted as you intended. If your divorce decree winds up stating something other than what you had originally intended, you may regret your decision not to hire a lawyer.
A lawyer will ensure that your legal documents are presented in such a way that the courts will state your issues accurately, and the decree will be free of vague language or errors that may make the agreement difficult to enforce.
Lawyers Move the Process Along
Without the help of a legal professional, you may find that there are issues with your documentation, or you may be lacking information that the court needs to move the divorce along. In some cases, this can cause significant delays in the divorce process.
When you hire a lawyer, you can avoid paperwork and other issues that may delay your divorce and drag the process on longer than necessary.
Ultimately, hiring a divorce lawyer will help you avoid costly mistakes, provide expert advice, reduce stress and help move the proceedings along quickly. Failing to hire a lawyer is a decision that you will likely regret, especially if you walk away with far less than you deserve.
The Micklin Law Group, LLC is a Nutley, NJ law firm practicing in the areas of family law. Attorney Brad Micklin was recently named to The National Advocates list of Top 100 attorneys from each state. To set up a consultation, call 973-562-0100.
