Is hiring a lawyer really necessary for your divorce? What if your divorce is really simple, or you two agree on all the terms, or you’re not looking to pay a ton of money to a lawyer to get this thing done that you can do yourself.
These are all valid points. You are by no means required to hire a divorce attorney. However, there are three main reasons why you should consider doing so.
Divorces, even uncontested divorces with no court appearances, require a lot of specific paperwork. It’s very easy to forget to submit one or more of these required documents, or to make an error such that the court will not be able to complete your divorce quickly. Divorce attorneys are very familiar with the documents that must be submitted, and should be well-versed in changes in divorce laws, such as the most recent changes that occurred this past March 2022.
2. It’s very easy to accidentally agree to things that are not in your or your children’s best interest without the guidance of an attorney. Therefore, even if you just do a free or paid consultation with a divorce attorney, at least you’ll have some idea of what you should be asking for, and how much would be fair and reasonable under the guidelines for child support and/or spousal support (also known as spousal maintenance or alimony).
3. Your divorce may turn complicated very fast, and you may wind up in court. Judges generally favor parties who have retained an attorney over those who proceed pro se, or representing themselves without an attorney. You would not want your ex to have an unfair advantage in court.