There is no denying that divorce is a painful and disgusting process. However, when you feel that it is the only way to alleviate or even put an end to all your sufferings, you do not have a second option in life. Once you have decided to go ahead with your divorce proceedings, the first and foremost question that you need to decide on is the approach. Are you going to handle the entire proceedings yourself or will you be employing a solicitor to handle things on your behalf?
If you were to ask me on adopting the right approach, I might not have a definite answer for you. This is because the needs of the situation differ from one case to another and any one particular solution might not be apt for all cases. Each of these methods for handling divorce proceedings has their own pros and cons. In order to make the right decision, it is necessary for us to delve a little bit deep into this subject.
High-Street Solicitors
If you think that you have all the money in this world to hire an attorney to handle your divorce case while you lay back and relax a bit, there cannot be a second opinion on this. The presence and expertise of a lawyer can make an immense difference to your divorce proceedings. You need not go around trying to learn to file your divorce papers. All your paper work will be handled by your lawyer. You need not field any questions from any segment and can have your lawyer answer them promptly.
All that you need to do is to clearly explain the situation to your lawyer and your expectations out of the divorce proceedings. The experience of the lawyer can particularly come helpful when your case is a little complicated and you expect a settlement, have a dispute over assets or disagreement over child custody.
In case, you fear issues of sexual, verbal or any form of physical abuse from your spouse, you need to seriously consider the services of a lawyer. Also, if you fear the safety of your own children during the divorce proceedings, you need to hire a lawyer without a second thought. In most of these situations, hiring an attorney can save you the trouble of worrying about unprecedented attacks from unexpected quarters.
However, this kind of an approach has its own disadvantages as well. You usually need to pay a very high fee for your lawyer. Most of the lawyers charge you by the hour and the longer or messy your divorce becomes, you end up paying a huge fee that can cost you a fortune.
Do-It-Yourself Divorce
With Do-It-Yourself divorces or commonly referred to as DIY divorces, all that are required of you is to download certain forms from websites or fetch them from your local courthouse. You will be expected to fill up these forms all by yourself unguided till the end. These types of divorce might require a certain amount of effort from your end.
Except that a DIY divorce does not cost you a penny (* statutory court costs apply to all divorces), there are not many advantages to this. Moreover, this form of divorce is only recommended for couples who either do not have the money to spare or to those who prefer to go in for an amicable separation. But in most cases, we are looking at a situation that exists in the ideal world.
Making that Final Decision
Having discussed the pros and cons of two forms of divorce, it is up to you to make a final call depending on your specific interests and needs.
In the event that you anticipate an uncontested divorce, you can always opt for a DIY divorce. However, if you choose to go ahead without a solicitor, it is mandatory that you sit down for a mutual discussion with your spouse on issues surrounding the divorce. Some of the pertinent issues can include topics such as alimony, child custody and division of assets. It is even more important that you have these issues sorted and that both of you are not split on the opinion. This is necessary to ensure a smooth transition in your divorce proceedings.
When either forms of divorce do not suit you, do not worry. There is an intermediate solution between these known as online divorces. These websites do all the paperwork and offer you legal assistance for a paltry sum. Not a bad option at all considering the pros and cons of the other two methods.
