Is Do-It-Yourself Divorce Right For You?
No one wants an ugly divorce, and while some people might entertain fantasies of wounding their ex-spouse in the pocketbook, no one wants to emerge from a divorce poorer than when they started. The people who spend years in court arguing over every expense and every item of personal property tend to be the ones who will still be rich even after the court divides their marital property and after they pay their lawyers for all the work they put into the case. For most members of the 99 percent, the priority is to accomplish their divorce as inexpensively as possible. If they have minor children, they might be willing to spend additional money to ensure that they can get a workable parenting plan, but even then, they must work within their budget. You might balk at the numbers that Google shows you when you ask it in general terms how much it costs to hire a divorce lawyer, but when you look at the big picture, hiring a divorce lawyer is often more affordable than not hiring one. Contact a West Palm Beach divorce lawyer to find out the most cost-effective way to dissolve your marriage.
Avoiding Divorce Lawyers Can Make Your Divorce More Expensive
The law does not require people seeking a divorce to hire lawyers. In theory, anyone can represent themselves in a divorce case. The court website has links to all the forms you need, and if you fill them out yourself and pay the associated fees, the court may accept them and divide your marital property the way that you indicate in your divorce papers. There are even inexpensive phone apps that guide you through the process of filling out divorce papers and filing them. In practice, though, do-it-yourself divorce is only a good idea in the simplest of cases. If the following criteria describe your marriage, you might be a good candidate for filing for divorce without hiring a lawyer:
- The marriage lasted five years or less.
- You and your spouse do not have children together.
- You and your spouse do not own your residence.
- The value of your marital property and separate property is modest.
- You and your spouse are both employed.
If you and your spouse have children, or if you depend on each other financially, then do-it-yourself divorce is not for you. Even if your divorce case seems simple, things could turn ugly after you file the divorce papers. You may need to hire a lawyer once mediation gets started if you believe that your spouse is not being truthful in their financial disclosures. Hiring a divorce lawyer costs more than downloading an app, but it costs less than trying to undo the financial damage your spouse did once they found out you were leaving.
Contact a West Palm Beach Divorce Lawyer Today
A Palm Beach County divorce lawyer can help you even if your divorce case is ostensibly simple. Contact William Wallshein P.A. in West Palm Beach Florida to discuss your case.
Source:
fatherly.com/love-money/how-to-file-divorce-online-wevorce-its-over-easy/
