Understanding The Legal Process

Why You Should Hire a Divorce Attorney

by Eli Gregory

The divorce process can be painful to deal with emotionally, and it has many legal complexities, too. If you're wondering whether it's worth it to hire a divorce attorney, consider these four reasons why it is a good choice to retain counsel before you agree to anything or have to go to court.

Provide Insulation

One of the best reasons to seek the services of a lawyer is to provide a degree of insulation between you and your ex. Some folks tend to get chatty and emotional, especially if they're not wild about the fact that a divorce is happening. If you're tired of listening to the B.S. that's incoming from your former partner, there's a lot to be said for being able to just refer them to your divorce attorney.

Set You Straight

Yes, there is also the very real possibility that you are the ex-partner who needs to get your head straight as divorce approaches. It's a hard truth that some people struggle to admit, but hearing it from an attorney is a much better idea than trying to handle the situation with a half-formed idea of how the divorce process really works. Settling down and hearing the reality of the situation from a professional will allow you to get down to the business of doing the divorce the right way, even if you weren't inclined to seek it.

People who've spent years with partners telling them how things are going to be can benefit from talking to a lawyer, too. If your ex was the type who liked to hold court telling what you could or could not do, it can be a lot of help to hear an attorney tell you that there is life after the end of a marriage.

Protecting Your Rights

Haphazardly signing off on legal documents is a roundly bad idea in any situation. That goes double when you're talking about the issues surrounding a divorce, such as child custody and support, alimony, visitation and the division of property. It's a lot to keep track of, but a divorce attorney will know all the steps that you have to follow.

Dealing with Paperwork

Even if you're the lucky duck who has managed to break up with your partner on fairly friendly terms, divorce is still a bureaucratic process. That means filing paperwork, and lots of it. "Sign here," is easier to do when a professional has read everything.

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