Somewhere around 800,000 divorces occur every year in the United States.
In Western cultures, almost all people marry by the time they’re 50, with 90% of people getting married by the age. However, roughly 40 to 50% of people who get married end up getting divorced.
Getting divorced can be an expensive and incredibly emotionally draining process. Are you wondering whether or not you need to consult a divorce lawyer?
Let’s take a look at everything you need to know
Reasons You Might Want to Consult a Divorce Lawyer
Getting a divorce can be quite expensive. For this reason, many people want to avoid consulting a divorce lawyer. However, there are a number of reasons why it might be in your best interest to do so.
If You Have Children
If you have minor children, you will need to create a parenting schedule and a parenting plan as a part of your divorce. It will be necessary to decide who had legal custody of the children. You also have to be decided which parent the children will live with and what the ground rules will be for parenting after the divorce.
Drafting this plan on your own is possible but has many risks. The last thing you want is for your co-parenting to become a nightmare after the divorce. It’s important that the outcome is in the best interest of the children, and for this reason is important to consult a divorce lawyer.
If You Own Real Estate
If you’re going to be selling the house you own as a part of your divorce, you will likely need some legal advice in terms of how to handle the sale. However, once the house has been sold, it no longer poses any issues as a part of your divorce proceedings. In this circumstance, you may only need a small amount of legal help.
If either you or your spouse is going to hold onto your real estate for any amount of time after the divorce goes through, however, it’s important that you pick with a lawyer. A home that you own is likely one of the most valuable assets you have. Without legal help, you can end up losing a lot of money or being held responsible for paying for house that you don’t even live in.
If You or Your Spouse Have Retirement Plans
Dealing with how retirement accounts will be split up can be an incredibly complicated process. For this reason, it will definitely want to talk to a lawyer.
If Either You or Your Spouse Will Want or Need Support After the Divorce
You absolutely need a divorce lawyer if either you or your spouse intends to get alimony after the divorce. The laws in this field are incredibly ambiguous and a lawyer can help you navigate them.
If Your Financial Situation Is Complicated
If you have a simple financial situation, you might be able to work at your divorce with little to no help from a lawyer. If your finances consist of no real estate, not much in retirement, few assets, little debt, and you and your spouse work regular jobs, you might be able to work it out on your own.
But if you either have a lot of debt or a lot of assets than a divorce lawyer going to be essential
If You Don’t Want to Prepare the Paperwork Yourself
When you’re getting divorced, there will be a lot is paperwork. Lawyers are experienced and use of this type of work, but for you it will all be new. If the thought of doing all of this paperwork on your own is overwhelming and unpleasant, save yourself the hassle and get yourself a divorce lawyer.
If You and Your Spouse Are Arguing
You might be able to get away with not having a lawyer if you and your spouse are having a 100% amicable breakup. That is, unless, you are in both incredibly wealthy with complicated financial situations.
If there is any disagreement, though, it’s best to hire a lawyer right away. You especially don’t want to be caught in a situation where you are fighting your own divorce case in court and your spouse has a divorce lawyer. This is an incredibly disadvantageous circumstance to be in.
Even if everything is settled with your spouse through mediation, lawyers will still need to handle the legal document and walk you through the court system.
If You Don’t Have the Time to Invest in Navigating the Court System on Your Own
If you decide to save money by not hiring a divorce lawyer, you will end up paying with your own time. You’ll have to get all the right documents together, figure out where and how to file this document, have your spouse served with the divorce papers, and learn how to get a court date.
Then, you’ll have to go to court and argue your own case with no support from a professional. Lawyers go to school for many years in order to practice law for a reason. The legal system is complicated, if you forgo having a lawyer, you will need to learn the ins and outs all on your own.
If Divorce Is Making You Feel Emotionally Unstable
It is completely normal for a divorce to be impacting you emotionally. Even the most amicable divorce, the major life change of no longer being with your spouse is enough to set anyone on an emotional roller coaster. In reality, though, the legal process is an objective and rational process, and being an emotional basket case will not help you in the slightest.
Having an experienced divorce lawyer can help you to understand what your goals are, what your complaints are, and help you create a legal strategy. Having guidance during this time in the absolutely essential to ensure that the outcome of your divorce proceedings suit your needs.
Whether you are concerned with sadness, anger, pain, depression, or absolute shock, hiring a lawyer’s the right thing to do. This goes for feelings of confusion and fear as well. Having a lawyer can ensure that, even though you are suffering through emotional distress, the case is approached with a level head and produces an outcome that supports you instead of harming you.
How to Consult a Divorce Lawyer
There are a number of different ways that you can find a divorce lawyer willing to give you a consultation. If you have any family or friends that have gone through a divorce, you can ask them who their lawyer was and whether or not they would recommend them. Or, you could search online for divorce lawyers in your area.
How much is a divorce lawyer consultation?
Many divorce lawyers will offer free consultations, you can get a sense of whether or not working with them makes sense for you before you shell out any cash.
Questions to Ask a Divorce Lawyer
There are a lot of questions to ask a lawyer during a divorce. Asking all of the questions that you have during your consultation can ensure that you find the divorce lawyer that will best suit your needs. Here’s a list of some of the questions that you can ask:
As you can see, there is a lot of information that you will want to get from your divorce lawyer.
Hiring a Divorce Lawyer Is Often Worth the Cost
While some couples might be able to achieve a divorce settlement without any lawyers that they both feel comfortable with, in many circumstances it is worth it to consult a divorce lawyer.
Did you find this article on whether you need to consult a divorce lawyer helpful? If so, be sure to check out the rest of our blog for more fascinating and informative content!
