Do I need a lawyer?

You do not need a lawyer to get divorced, but there are many advantages to having a lawyer during a divorce.  A lawyer is trained to identify the issues and give you the best advice on your case.  A lawyer is most importantly there to represent your best interests.  In matters such as divorce and parenting, you may be dealing with such things as your children, your home, and all financial matters between you and your spouse.  These are the most important things in your life, the things that make up your existence.  Therefore, you may feel more comfortable having a trained person representing you in these matters.

A lawyer can analyze your individual case and needs, explain the process to you step by step, and handle matters quickly, so that you are able to move on with your life as quickly as possible.  The last thing that you want to be concerned with during this process is what form you need to file.  I have seen pro se people (people representing themselves, without an attorney), and while I recognize the need to save costs, I see the difficulty they have with representing themselves.  If the correct procedure is not followed, the Court will not accept what is submitted, and it may take a much greater amount of time than it would have had you had an attorney.

Further, you may have rights that you do not know about.  The "how-to best represent yourself" handbook is really a law degree.  It is possible to lose these rights without the proper advice.  This is especially important when you and your spouse disagree on the terms of your dissolution (divorce).
Also, a lawyer is there to give the best arguments and the best defenses to help you arrive at the best possible scenario for your case.

One option for those who cannot afford a lawyer is to have a lawyer represent you only for particular things that you need done, which is called Limited Scope Representation.  Stay tuned for my Blog on this topic.

The quicker a person can move through the process of a divorce, the better it is for everyone involved, and that includes financially and emotionally.  A lawyer can help you move through the process.