Divorce is never easy, but it can be made easier when you have the right type of support to help you make your way through it. People sometimes try to do a divorce on their own, but this can lead to serious problems down the road. During a divorce, you’ll make decisions that impact your financial future. You may also need to make choices regarding child custody and visitation that impact your children’s wellbeing. Choosing to seek legal help during your divorce protects you by providing the following benefits.
Plan a Clean Separation
Seeking legal advice as soon as you know that a divorce is imminent helps you to make smart decisions from the very beginning. To be eligible for a divorce in some areas, you’ll need to be separated from your spouse for a full 12 months. During this time, you may have questions about how to rightfully divide your property, and your legal counsel can help you understand your rights during what might be temporary living arrangements.
Get Help When Your Spouse Is not in Agreement
It is fairly common for one spouse to challenge the other’s request for a divorce. If your spouse refuses to recognize your separation or questions your reasons for the divorce, then you may need to work with someone who understands family law well enough to argue for your side in the case. A divorce lawyer can also help you to serve your spouse when they are hard to locate or get in contact with such as if they live overseas.
Avoid Delays Caused by Mistakes
You’ll quickly discover that divorces require a lot of paperwork, and each document must be completed and filed in specific ways. In some states, your Application for Divorce must be signed and sworn by a legal witness, and a lawyer can help to fulfill this role. They’ll also assist you with gathering other essential documents that must be included in the application so that you don’t extend how long it takes to get your divorce. Depending upon your financial situation, resolving your divorce faster can help you to protect your assets.
Protect Your Interests During Property and Child Custody Discussions
Even though your divorce may already be granted, you will still need to work with your spouse to divide your property and figure out who will have custody of your children. These situations get heated, and legal assistance provides you with the information that you need to make complicated decisions such as how to divide assets such as the house. With a lawyer on your side, you can trust that you’ll have access to information that helps you know that your rights are upheld.
At first glance, filing your application for divorce might look simple, but this is far from the truth. Over the course of getting a divorce, you can expect to encounter a few challenges. Having legal help during stressful times helps you to relax and move forward with making clearheaded decisions.
This article is from Brooke Chaplan, a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChapman
