Going through a divorce is one of the biggest things that can happen in a person’s life. It’s right up there with getting married and having a child. It has the potential to affect the rest of your life. One of the big decisions that you have to make at this point is whether you are going to hire representation or not, and there are more than a few reasons to choose a divorce attorney.
A lot of thought needs to go into this decision. Are you going to try to go through the divorce on your own, or are you going to hire an attorney? Although paying for an attorney indeed has the potential to be costly, you may find that not choosing a good divorce attorney is an even larger problem. Below are some of the main reasons to work with an attorney.
An Attorney Knows the Law
How much do you know about family law in Arizona? Chances are good that you don’t know the law, which means if you were to represent yourself there is a good chance you could make a mistake that could come back to haunt you later. You might not know what type of evidence you need or how to disclose your financial information. Countless potential problems could arise without an attorney working on your side.
The attorneys not only know the law, but they can explain it to you in ways you can understand.
It’s Good to Have Someone on Your Side
All of this can be overwhelming. Your life is changing now that you are no longer going to be married. It can feel as though you don’t have anyone on your side, and you don’t know who you can trust. One of the best things about working with an attorney is that you know they are on your side. They have your best interests in mind. They can answer all of the questions you have, and you can turn to them for guidance when needed.
A Divorce Attorney Ensures Fairness
When you are going through a divorce, there is a chance that your spouse might try to take advantage of your good nature or your ignorance of the law. One of the main concerns that people have regarding divorces tends to be whether they are fair or not. Are the assets being split properly and fairly? Are you getting the appropriate amount of parenting time in your settlement?
What types of concerns are there about fairness that you have? When you work with an attorney, there shouldn’t be any issues of fairness whether it comes to child support, custody, property division, etc. Your attorney will have your back.
In addition to fairness, working with an attorney will ensure that your rights are properly protected. Attorneys know your legal rights and will ensure that they are not violated by a spouse that is trying to take advantage of you in the divorce.
Understand the Court System Better
Just like you don’t know all of the statutes and how the law works, you probably can’t easily navigate the courts on your own. While it’s something you could figure out, you already have a lot on your mind now that you are going through your divorce. Working with an attorney who already knows the ins and outs of the courts will make things easier.
The attorneys will ensure that you are meeting deadlines, filing the right paperwork at the right time, appearing in court when needed, etc. Keeping track of all of these things on your own can be difficult. Working with an attorney will mean far less stress for you.
Spousal Communication
There may be issues when it comes to communicating with your spouse. Whether it’s due to domestic violence or other issues, it could feel impossible to have to deal with your husband or wife. Fortunately, the attorney can help you hear, as well. They can help you to handle the communication with your spouse, so you don’t have to have direct contact with them.
Your Emotions Could Get the Better of You
Divorce is emotional—there’s no way around it. However, it also means that there’s a chance that you could become too emotional in the decisions you are making. There are a lot of major decisions that you have to make. If you let emotion become the driving force in those decisions, you are bound to make some mistakes that will come back to haunt you.
You’ll find that it’s better to have an attorney help you make those decisions. They can allow you to see the pros and cons of the decisions you are making before you make them. It’s a smarter way to make decisions, so you aren’t doing things that could end up costing you more of your assets or your parenting time with your children.
It’s Easier
You will find that it’s much easier when you hire an attorney. Honestly, this is one of the best reasons to work with an attorney. Consider all of the paperwork that you would have to do on your own, not to mention all of the things that you will have to keep track of. A lot is going on, and if you aren’t immaculately organized, you will find that acting as your own attorney is going to cause you more problems than it is worth.
Choosing to hire an attorney will make things easier from start to finish. Even though they aren’t technically necessary, it is one of the best decisions you can make.
Choose the Right Attorney
Of course, you do need to be sure you are choosing the correct attorneys for the job. This means finding lawyers who have plenty of experience with family law and divorces like yours. If you have a high-value divorce, for example, you want to put your trust in attorneys who have dealt with similar divorce cases in the past.
There are many good reasons to choose a divorce attorney, because once you finally work with a great attorney, you will have more peace of mind. It’s one of the best decisions you can make.
