It’s a common belief that when people decide to get a divorce, the procedure is to hire a lawyer and then fight it out in divorce court. This certainly is one way to go about it, but rarely is it the best way. There are much better alternatives. So, what types of legal support are available, and which do you need to help you through your divorce? Because every marriage and therefore every divorce is unique, the various legal options for obtaining a divorce should be evaluated to determine which one is right for your situation.
Do you and your spouse agree on everything (or almost) with regard to the divorce agreement? If so, you might be tempted to use a do-it-yourself online divorce service, but I would not recommend this. Divorce can be quite complicated, financially and legally, and it’s easy to make mistakes that could negatively affect you later. It would be well worth your time and money in the long run to get some legal help with your divorce decisions and paperwork. And if you still have a few issues you are having trouble resolving, you will need more than what an online divorce service can offer.
Divorce With Dignity (findaprovider.dwdignity.com) is a divorce planning and facilitation service, ready to assist with simple or complicated divorces. We understand what you are going through, and can help you assess what your service needs are. Our goal is to inform you about the divorce process, help you get clarity on unresolved issues, and negotiate a divorce agreement that is fair and acceptable to both parties. When legal advice is needed, we coach you in communicating with divorce attorneys or mediators in order to save you time and money. We can refer you to trusted legal professionals with whom you can contract for just the specific help you need.
However, if there is no Divorce With Dignity office near you, here are some other legal support options.
Independent Paralegal or a Legal Documentation Service
They can get all the legal papers prepared and filed with the court for you. Depending on where you live and the type of service you use, this could cost you about $2,000 or less. Try to get referrals from friends, or look on YP.com (online yellow pages) to search for “paralegal”, “legal document”, etc. Look for reviews on Yelp, Google, or Yahoo to make sure they have a good reputation.
Divorce Mediator
This type of legal support is for couples who need help coming to an agreement on some issues. Again, try to get recommendations from friends, or look for one with good reviews. Make sure it’s someone who has extensive experience in family law; even better, try to find one who specializes exclusively in family law issues. If the divorce mediator is also an attorney, verify that he/she only does mediation and does not do any litigation. His/her job is to help the two of you resolve outstanding issues, work out a settlement you can both agree on, and then type up the forms and divorce agreement for you. The costs will probably be more than a legal document preparation service, but less than regular attorney fees.
Divorce Attorney
If you and your spouse are in agreement on all matters, you can hire an attorney to do all the paperwork for you and nothing more. Be sure to only hire someone who has been recommended to you, or who has excellent reviews. Ask her/him to clarify up front the exact cost of the service (not an estimate).
If you have decided that divorce is the right decision for you, and there is a Divorce With Dignity office near you (findaprovider.dwdignity.com), we invite you to give us a call. More than a legal document preparation service, and much less expensive than a divorce mediator or attorney, we work with people who want to achieve a divorce in a peaceful, timely, and affordable way. We would be pleased to talk with you and let you know how we can help you get through this – with dignity and integrity.
The author of this blog is not an attorney and the information contained in these blogs should not be considered legal advice. The information provided here is based on the experience of the author and some of her clients whose actual names are not mentioned. Do not hesitate to seek the advice of an attorney if you have any legal questions.
