It’s okay. You can be honest. I know there are a million things you can think of that you would rather do than hire – and pay for – a family law attorney. You are likely desperate to discover that you do not, in fact, need one at all and that, on balance, handling your divorce and/or custody case on your own is something that you perfectly able to do.
But … is that the truth?
You probably also know that there’s a lot at stake. This is true regardless of whether we’re talking about a divorce or a child custody case. Kids – custody, visitation, and child support – are, of course, a major issue for any parent going through the divorce or custody process, but there are many other issues in divorce that are equally important.
Financial concerns are huge, too – and rightfully so! Whether yours is a long or short term marriage, whatever you’ve accumulated financially is important to your overall portfolio. Oftentimes, the assets and liabilities that we accrue in our youngest years (and you’ll never be younger than you are now) are disproportionately important just because of the amount of time involved and the benefits of compounding interest.
Other factors that we – or at least I – can’t control can have an impact, too, like the larger housing market, the state of the public school system, and interest rates.
Retaining what you deserve to retain is important. You don’t want to give too much or ask for too little. You don’t want to let ease today cause an undue burden tomorrow. You want to ask the right questions, make informed choices, and not compromise your quality of life later on down the line because of what you didn’t know.
But does that mean you need to hire an attorney?
No, not necessarily. I probably have an unfair sampling; I couldn’t tell you, with certainty, how many people handle their divorces -and handle them well – without the assistance of counsel. The ones I’ve seen are the ones where the people involved hired lawyers or the ones where they didn’t and it blew up in their face.
I don’t really have a sense of how many do it themselves and do it well. I do know that it can be done, and I suspect more people do it themselves than I realize. Does it turn out well? Well, I think there’s a range of acceptable alternatives in any case. In many cases, a lot of the worst-case scenario things we (attorneys) fear professional may just not come to pass.
But there are plenty of other cases where unforeseen circumstances DO happen and they’re glad to have the extra security built into their separation agreements that their attorney(s) provided.
Not only that, but attorneys can give guidance and counsel on some of the more important issues. The questions like, “What half is most important to me?” and “Can I afford to keep the house?” are often nuanced and require a lot of discussion. It’s not easy or one-size-fits all. An attorney can help you understand the law, the extent of your entitlements and responsibilities, what to expect from the court, and how best to maximize your ROI, in divorce and beyond.
But that doesn’t mean that hiring a divorce is for everyone, or necessary in every circumstance. It’s a good idea to look into your unique circumstances so that you can make a well considered decision for yourself based on your situation – and not based off of what was good for someone else.
My new book, “Why Would I Want to Hire a Divorce Lawyer, Anyway?” is designed to answer all of these questions and more. It’s available for a free download, so you’ve got nothing to lose by requesting your copy.
Not only that, but you’ll also get an invitation to join our free e-course on the topic of hiring an attorney (or not), so that you’ll feel even more empowered to make the best decision for yourself and your family.
And, no – the best decision is not always to hire an attorney!
Does that surprise you?
For more information, to request a copy of my new book, or to register to attend an upcoming divorce seminar, visit our website at hoflaw.com or give us a call at 757-425-5200.