Marriage is supposed to last forever – until it doesn’t.
No one plans to get a divorce when they say “I do.” People change. Feelings change. And it’s a lot faster to get married and less expensive than a divorce.
Statistics show that New Jersey has the second highest divorce costs at:
- $300 for a divorce filing fee
- $365 per hour in marriage attorney fees
The state’s divorce costs are some of the highest in the nation, but that doesn’t mean you benefit from these higher costs. The typical divorce takes 12 months or longer to complete. New Jersey is also a state, tied with Connecticut, that has the lowest marriage rate in the country: 5.4 marriages per 1,000 people.
New Jersey’s high costs are a major reason for the lower marriage rates in the state.
But there is also the fact that divorcees can spend $20,000+ on their divorces. It’s a very expensive decision to make, and with alimony and spousal support concerns, it’s easy to see why people don’t want to get divorced.
The filing fee is low, and a lot of the costs of a divorce come from the marriage attorney fees.
Do you really need a marriage attorney, or can you get divorced without one?
Uncontested Divorces Are Possible
If you have an uncontested divorce, it’s possible for you to avoid going to an attorney. This is a divorce where the couple has taken on the hardship of hashing out all of the details among themselves.
When you go through one of these amicable divorces or uncontested divorces, you and your partner have hashed out:
- Financial division
- Asset division
- Child custody
Amicable divorces require you to have made all of the decisions prior to the divorce. You’ll be able to discuss with your partner your concerns and work through the division of assets. Divorcees that are going through a truly amicable divorce will have the best chance of an uncontested divorce.
This is the “ideal situation” divorce because it’s much faster, easier and less costly.
Contested divorces, on the other hand, will be much more difficult for all parties involved. You’ll need to protect your own interests when choosing an uncontested divorce, meaning that you’ll need to be able to face any opposition from your partner.
Contested Divorces
Unfortunately, when a couple is ready to file for divorce, they’ve almost always made it to the point where they’re fighting and bickering. Animosity against partners grow, and trust levels may have deteriorated to the point that you can barely trust your partner to not withdraw all of your money from your bank account.
Contested divorces need the help of a marriage attorney.
When you hire a New Jersey marriage attorney, you’re hiring an attorney that has experience in the state of New Jersey. Yes, divorces will be costlier than an uncontested divorce, but your attorney will know the ins-and-outs of the state’s laws.
This means that your attorney will be able to help you with divorce intricacies, including:
- Navigating custody issues. In cases where men are seeking custody, a divorce lawyer that has experience helping men with their custody rights in New Jersey can mean the difference between getting custody or not.
- Working through alimony and child support. Divorce is complex, and the costs of child support and alimony are disproportionately in favor of women. Men can use a divorce attorney to make sure payments are fair and just.
- Asset division. When it comes to your assets, it’s difficult for spouses to determine “what’s fair.” The outside perspective of an attorney will allow you to ensure that the assets you have are divided fairly. Attorneys work on the best interests of all parties, so you can be sure that a fair division of assets will be met.
Marriage attorneys offer a wealth of experience to their clients, and they allow you to ensure that your divorce is fair and just. The marriage attorney you choose should be based on:
- An attorney should have the experience to be able to help you go through a seamless divorce.
- If you’re a man dealing with divorce, find an attorney that has a proven track record of helping men win their divorce cases.
- The reputation of an attorney will allow you to judge how they’re able to help you through your case. An attorney that has a reputation for helping their clients go through difficult divorces with ease are worth every penny.
If your divorce is contested, a lawyer will fight for your rights.
The Micklin Law Group, LLC is a New Jersey law firm focusing on men’s rights during a divorce. Attorney Brad Micklin was recently named to The National Advocates list of Top 100 attorneys from each state. Brad has experience working with securing alimony for men. You can read more on this topic by visiting our Alimony Blog. To set up a consultation, call 973-562-0100.
