Potential Pitfalls Of DIY Divorce

You don't need a lawyer to get a divorce, and in fact, you may think that you are saving money (think legal fees) that way. However, it is certainly helpful to have a divorce lawyer's help. Here are some of the complications you may face if you opt for a DIY divorce:

You May Not Spot Undervalued Assets

A common trick people use to hide assets during a divorce is to undervalue their assets and underreport their income. You have a high chance of spotting such underhand tactics if have a divorce lawyer handling your case; they have experienced similar cases in the past. As a novice, however, your soon-to-be-ex may hoodwink you and get away with it.

You May Let Your Emotions Rule

One of the benefits of using a divorce lawyer is that you have a cool-headed professional to handle your issues without the meddlesome effect of emotions. It is easy to say that you shouldn't let your emotions rule if you are going through a divorce, but the reality is that divorce is a highly emotive issue. On your own, you may not even realize that you are asking emotional issues. However, a divorce lawyer will help you see both sides of every decision and help you make good ones.

You May Not Know What You Deserve

Even though people negotiate a lot of things during a divorce, there are minimum standards that the law demands in each case. For example, there are guidelines for alimony, child support, debt division, and asset division, among other aspects of divorce. It is easy to walk away with less than what you deserve if you don't know what the law prescribes in each case. Of course, your lawyer's legal training and experience mean that they know what you deserve for those situations.

You May Not Get the Professional Help You Need

Some people need more than a lawyer's help during divorce. For example, you may need a business appraiser if your spouse has a business you don't understand well, an art appraiser if you own expensive artworks, and a tax professional if you have different properties and assets. All these professionals will help you ensure that you make an informed decision. However, you may not even know you need them if you don't get legal advice for your divorce.

As you can see, using a divorce lawyer is likely to save you money in the long run. Although it's ideal to involve a lawyer in the process as early as possible, you can get one at any stage of the process. For more information, contact local professionals like those found at Moore Robert G Attorney at Law.

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