Top 5 Reasons to Hire an Attorney for Your Divorce

Starting divorce proceedings can be an emotional and sometimes overwhelming experience. You may be pondering if you really need a divorce attorney. It may make sense to try to go it alone and use online resources or kits as a way to save both time and money. The following reasons may preclude you from needing a divorce lawyer to handle your divorce:

• The marriage was short-lived.
• The divorce is uncontested without any complications regarding assets
• There are no assets.
• There are no children.
• Neither part is seeking alimony or spousal support.

These above instances are rare. Usually, divorces are quite complicated because of shared assets and debt and child custody. There’s also the added emotional stress and anguish that can occur, which makes handling a divorce all too much to bear on your own. Navigating the family court system can be a confusing process, and it help to have a qualified and experienced Alabama family law attorney to be your guide.

The dissolution of a marriage is a serious decision that can have reverberations in your life for years to come. To make sure that you are set on the right trajectory, consider the following five reasons why hiring a divorce attorney can help.

1. Can be your fierce and knowledgeable legal advocate. Unlike self-representation, hiring a divorce attorney will help your case with just the added knowledge alone. An Alabama family law attorney knows the ins and out of Alabama family court system and can deal with your ex’s attorney on your behalf. When you attempt a do-it-yourself divorce, you could be missing some vital information about how to best handle your case which could negatively impact the outcome of your case.
2. Saves time and money. Divorces can smother you in an avalanche of paperwork that you will need to fill out correctly and to submit to family court on time. If filled out incorrectly or filed late, it can cost you both time and money. Instead of trying to figure out how to fill out this paperwork on your own, you can rely on a divorce attorney’s professional expertise and experience to help you to fill out the paperwork correctly and to submit it to the courts in a timely fashion. Additionally, options such as settlement and mediation may be more easily accessible to you, options that your attorney can assess and navigate with you.
3. Can protect your rights. Alabama family law is a complex facet of the law to learn for the first time. Your lack of knowledge can put you at a severe disadvantage. The division of property and assets as well as child custody can be thorny issues in a divorce. A divorce attorney knows the intricacies of Alabama family law and can help you to get what rightfully belongs to you.
4. Help you see a more objective point of view of your divorce. Because divorces can be quite emotional, it helps to have a veteran attorney walk you through this process. A myriad of emotions may be coming up for you, sometimes all at once—anger, sadness, confusion, stressed, and anxious, to just name a few. These emotions, although very real and valid, can blind you from making rational decisions that can help you in the long run instead of decisions from a vengeful or vindictive place. As a third-party, a family law attorney can help you to determine places of compromises–which battles are truly worth waging in mediation or in court, and which ones are worth letting go for your greater good and well-being.
5. Provide emotional support. Experienced divorce attorneys know how emotionally taxing a divorce can be for people. You not only get sound legal advice and guidance, but you will also know that you are not alone in your divorce. Your divorce lawyer can lend a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on as you make this transition from your marriage. Any concerns, fears, frustrations or worries about your divorce will be heard with sympathy and understanding.

If you are looking to hire a divorce attorney in the Dothan, Alabama area, you need the experienced Dothan divorce lawyers at Smith & McGhee. Contact us today for a consultation at 334-702-1744.