Making a decision to represent yourself in court instead of hiring an experienced divorce lawyer could be a costly mistake. Here’s why.
If you’re at the early stages of your divorce process, you may be considering representing yourself instead of hiring a lawyer thinking you will be able to save money and time by doing so. If your marriage was very short, if both of you are committed to ending the marriage without a legal or financial battle, if you have no children or assets and if neither of you wants or needs to receive spousal support/alimony from the other, then you may be able to process your own divorce using a kit or online tools.
Most people find getting divorced to be an intricate, complicated and confusing process and they’re grateful to have experienced divorce counselors to help guide and support them through it. You will need to make a lot of decisions that will affect the rest of your life at a time when your emotions might be going in many different directions which will affect your ability to think clearly. Although not everyone needs a divorce lawyer, obtaining a good one is most often in your best interests, especially if your divorce is contested, complicated, involves children, you have significant possessions/assets or if your soon to be ex-spouse has hired a divorce lawyer.
Divorce is an extremely emotional time for both spouses. You may experience feelings of rage, betrayal, fear, depression, sadness, confusion, and resignation sometimes all on the same time! This level of heightened emotions and the fact that you might have a hard time being objective about your case, will sometimes skew your judgement. Very few people have had the time or the willingness to work through their emotions about their soon to be ex-spouse during the divorce process, which will hinder their ability to work productively and effectively with the other side to resolve important matters. If you’re thinking of representing yourself, you need to be aware that your emotional state may prevent you from making wise, objective decisions about your future. As a third party, a family lawyer can keep a clear, level head and separate themselves from the emotional side of the case in order to work towards the best resolution for everyone involved, most importantly you. Throughout the divorce process, a lawyer can remind you to keep your emotions under control or even introduce you to other professionals who can help you direct your emotions into positive strategies. A good divorce attorney can let you know when you’re being unreasonable or are asking for things that’s more or less impossible. When emotions are running high, it is easy to say or do things that may come off as aggressive or ill advised; a lawyer creates clear separation between you and the other side and will do his or her best to prevent you from allowing your emotions to unfavorably affect your case.