There’s a reason that even attorneys hire their own counsel when going through a divorce. As a practical matter, the number of administrative details in a divorce proceeding can be overwhelming. From responding to the procedural requirements, such as court filings and hearings, to reaching agreement on the various issues that need to be settled, the demands upon an individual’s time can be substantial.
In addition to handling the administrative details, an attorney can lend an objective analysis to situations that might be emotionally charged. Any type of change can be hard and require adjustment, and the number of changes brought about by a post-divorce lifestyle is numerous. From visitation agreements to creating a whole new budget, an individual will have to create a new approach.
An individual may be tempted to pursue online resources to minimize costs. However, the biggest drain on financial resources in a divorce is really courtroom disputes. Legal fees may skyrocket when parties to a divorce cannot reach agreements on their own. In recent years, especially, a number of cost-saving approaches to divorce have developed, all of which minimize the court’s involvement.
A divorce where the parties are working together to resolve issues, while retaining their separate attorneys, might be characterized as uncontested. Alternative dispute resolution methods build upon or vary that model. One approach, called collaborative divorce, utilizes a team of professionals. The team might be comprised of a mental health professional or psychologist for assistance with any child custody issues, and a financial professional for asset valuation and division issues. Each party’s attorney will also participate on the team, ensuring that any agreements are fair to their client’s interests.
Source: FindLaw, “Reasons to Hire an Experienced Family Law Attorney,” copyright 2016, Thomson Reuters