10 Reasons to Avoid the Do-it-Yourself Divorce

It’s understandable that many people who are facing a divorce have a reluctance to incur the obligatory legal fees. In which case they opt to a do-it-yourself style of divorce. They find divorce papers online and file those or otherwise attempt to work through the entire divorce proceedings without seeking help from a divorce attorney.

Nevertheless, this frequently causes far more trouble than it’s worth. Here, we discuss 10 valid reasons for avoiding the do-it-yourself divorce.

1. The entire process can cause huge emotional strain: Emotions can cause the clouding of judgment when going through a divorce and this can impact custody arrangements and financial settlements. With professional legal help, the impartiality of a good attorney will help to see you through with solid advice, which in turn will reduce the level of emotion involved.
2. Without appropriate professional help, an agreement can take a long time to reach: It’s certainly possible that when going through a divorce, both you and your spouse are at odds with one another. In which case, it’s likely that reaching a workable agreement in terms of the divorce proceedings is going to be very difficult.
3. You could make the mistake of agreeing to something that is not in your favor, simply to speed up the process: The dissolution of a marriage can be particularly wary on both parties involved. In which case, poor decisions are often made, and those same poor decisions can end up in regret, as they are very difficult to undo at a later date.
4. A lack of understanding may see you agree to unfavorable terms on your part: Your spouse may have his lawyer process an agreement that you don’t entirely comprehend. If you sign the paperwork, it could be something that you regret at a later date.
5. Your legal rights are left unprotected: A divorce attorney, such as this Houston divorce attorney, has a fiduciary duty to protect your rights throughout the process of a divorce. If you are aiming to conduct the process yourself, there is no one available to protect your rights. In which case, it’s possible that you will never know what you are entitled to under the auspices of the law of your state.
6. In each state, the laws differ with respect to the acceptable reasoning for a divorce: As an example, some states rule that you must live apart from your spouse for a minimum period of time and you may have to fulfill a number of other requirements and obligations. If you’re not entirely sure about the requirements, it may lead to your divorce papers being denied by the court. Either that, or the divorce process may be lengthened on account of your lack of insight.
7. The denial of property or alimony that you are in fact entitled to: There are rules in place through law on the division of assets when undergoing a divorce. As an example, if it’s a community property state, the law states that there is a likelihood for all the assets to be split 50-50. If you are unaware of these regulations, it could lead to the signing of an agreement which entails you receiving less than your entitlement.
8. The divorce may not be approved by the court: The judge, once he or she has looked over the divorce papers and the agreement, must then sign off on it. Should the agreement come with issues that are not legally binding, like the waiving of any child support, then the judge is at liberty to disapprove the agreement.
9. Important matters may be forgone when drafting the divorce agreement: You may not consider a number of issues, like that of Social Security benefits, pensions, as well as health insurance. Attorneys who are experienced in dealing with the process of divorce will ensure that all your bases are thoroughly covered.
10. Although your reasoning is to save money, you may not: There are a number of attorneys who are explicitly willing to offer their services on a flat-fee basis. Otherwise, some lawyers will come with low fees given that you opt for a basic agreement and all that is required is that they look over it and sign it for you. Almost always, investing in an experienced attorney involved in divorce law is well worth it and makes for a valid investment in terms of money and time.