Top Reasons DIY Divorce Might Not Be For You

So, it has come to this. Divorce. No one ever plans to get divorced, but the reality is that about half of all marriages end in divorce. The reasons for divorce can range from infidelity to financial turmoil, but this article isn’t about pinpointing the reason for your divorce. No, this article is about helping you understand your legal options so you can get through your divorce with as little damage as possible.

You probably already know that getting divorced can be expensive. In addition to dividing your assets with your spouse, you have to figure out child support payments and alimony. Already, the costs are adding up, and this doesn’t even include the cost of hiring an Orlando divorce attorney to handle your case.

No wonder so many people try to represent themselves during their divorce. The process is already costly as it is, and when you consider that many divorce attorneys bill clients at exorbitant hourly rates, it should come as no surprise that most people feel they can’t afford to hire an attorney, so they go it alone.

But DIY divorce certainly isn’t without its risks, and it’s not for everyone. Here are some of the top reasons DIY divorce might not be the best choice for you.

1. You aren’t a lawyer—Lawyers go to school for years to get the knowledge they need to handle cases properly. You’re not a lawyer. You don’t have this training. How can you expect to represent yourself properly?


2. Document preparation websites can’t offer true legal help—You might think that you can get legal help from one of those websites that sells Florida divorce papers. But the truth is that most document preparation companies aren’t affiliated with a law firm, and most don’t have a lawyer on staff. Instead, these sites are run by divorce paralegals who can’t even legally practice law unsupervised in Florida.


3. Handling a case takes time and effort—A lot of work goes into handling a divorce case. There’s paperwork to be prepared and filed, court dates to attend, negotiations to work through…the list goes on and on. Do you really have the time, energy, or patience to do all of this on your own? If you have a job or any semblance of a life, the answer is probably no. That’s why your best bet is to get real legal help.


4. Hiring a lawyer doesn’t have to be expensive—Here’s the best kept secret. Hiring an Orlando divorce attorney doesn’t have to be expensive. You don’t have to pay high hourly rates or give a huge retainer up front. Your divorce lawyer doesn’t have to set you back thousands of dollars. The reality is that there are more affordable options out there. It’s entirely possible for you to get qualified legal help from a licensed attorney for a flat fee that’s just a few hundred bucks. You should search for an Orlando divorce attorney that offers flat fee, discrete task representation as this is the most efficient way to get your case handled.

Now that you understand the drawbacks to DIY divorce, do you still think it’s the best choice for you?

Tags: best choice, paperwork, hourly rates, child support payments, infidelity, legal help, alimony, financial turmoil, legal options, divorce case, divorce papers, divorce attorney, paralegals, divorce attorneys