An increasing number of people have begun representing themselves in court. Many people take this route to save money or because they believe they would not benefit from a lawyer. However, there can be hundreds of tasks you need to perform to prepare for a court date, so even when it comes to divorce, you are always better off having an attorney in your corner.
Many couples have an uncontested divorce. This means they agree on all the major issues and want to separate with as little litigation as possible. While an uncontested divorce will most likely result in faster divorce proceedings, both parties would still be wise to acquire legal representation.
A lawyer makes sure you actually agreed on everything
You and your spouse may agree on how to divide the house and certain assets, but there are numerous intricacies to any divorce. There is a good chance you two overlooked something critical, and before the divorce is final, a lawyer will make sure you touch on every aspect. You may discover you actually do agree on everything, but having an attorney present guarantees you at least talk about everything involved.
A lawyer drafts the paperwork
Spouses can technically draft the paperwork on their own, but they need to use the right language to ensure the divorce agreement is enforceable. A lawyer makes sure there are not any misplaced words. An attorney also makes sure you have boilerplate paragraphs that can really save you down the road.
A lawyer files everything
When couples decide to divorce on their own, it is quite common for the judge to throw out motions and complaints due to procedural errors. A simple mistake can drastically lengthen the process. Instead, you can hire an attorney to take care of all these clerical duties for you. Ultimately, hiring a lawyer costs money, but you save so much time and hassle that it becomes absolutely worth it.