Not all divorces end in bitter conflict. Some splitting couples are able to settle their differences amicably. When couples can work out their differences on their own without litigation in court, it is called an uncontested divorce. You may wonder if you need an attorney for an uncontested divorce. While the law gives you the option to represent yourself, hiring an attorney is nevertheless a good idea. Here are some reasons to think about hiring an attorney to handle your uncontested divorce.
1. An Attorney Can File the Necessary Paperwork
It is important that the appropriate paperwork is filed correctly. Otherwise, this could cause you problems down the road. A divorce attorney knows what paperwork is needed and how to file it properly and correctly. This whole process takes about an hour to complete, and it could save you many more hours of having to sort out legal difficulties down the road.
2. An Attorney Can Draft Your Agreement Accurately
Your divorce agreement is a binding legal document that you will have to live with for the rest of your life. If you draft it yourself, you may make errors in the writing. These may be small enough that you don’t catch them before filing. However, they can make a big difference down the road, causing unintended negative consequences for you and/or your ex-spouse. A divorce attorney can not only draft an error-free document for you but also include boilerplate language that can minimize future problems.
3. You May Not Have Thought of Everything
The problem with representing yourself in an uncontested divorce is that you don’t know what you don’t know. You may think that you and your spouse have covered all the bases in coming to an agreement about parenting time, child support, alimony, property division, and the other big issues in a divorce. However, there are a lot of small details that you may not have even known about and so have not discussed. A divorce attorney knows about all the subtle legal nuances that a divorce case can involve. He or she can bring up the issues that you would never have thought of on your own and guide you through the process of resolving them.
Divorce can be expensive, and couples going through an uncontested split may seek to save money by not hiring any attorneys and representing themselves in court. However, this can end up being more costly later if legal difficulties arise. One of our attorneys can help your uncontested divorce go smoothly. To learn more, contact a family lawyer, like a coronavirus uncontested divorce lawyer, in Tampa, FL, today.
Thank you to the experts at The Mckinney Law Group for their input into coronavirus, uncontested divorce, and the law.