Some marriages are made in heaven, and others end before the famous “until death do us part”. Your two choices are contested and uncontested divorce. The uncontested divorce is the simplest and easiest divorce to file. There are three main reasons why you would want to file an uncontested divorce, if you can.
Number one
Divorce is never a pleasant experience and is worse if you have children and property involved. The majority of stress that a couple will experience centers on child custody and property division. If you can work out these two potential problem areas, it will significantly reduce the amount of stress you or your spouse will endure. Eliminating arguments that center around how to divide your property and who will be the Managing Conservator will significantly reduce the stress that’s usually associated with a couple going through divorce. By doing this, you become a prime candidate for filing an uncontested divorce.
Number two
A second reason to get an uncontested divorce is that it allows you to finish your divorce much sooner. More often than not, a divorce will take a long period of time before being finalized. The reason for this is that most arguments are related to property and child custody issues, which make the divorce drag on for longer than necessary. Actually, in Texas you can be divorced in 61 days from start to finish, if you and your spouse eliminate these potential areas of contention. If you’re in a hurry to get divorced, I recommend you talk with your spouse about getting an uncontested divorce because the two of you can be divorced in just over two months.
Number three
Going through a divorce can be very expensive and hard on anyone’s budget. Attorneys bill their time to clients at rates of $150/hour to as much as $400/hour. If your divorce is contested, there is no limit to the amount of money you could be charged on your legal bill. However, when your divorce is uncontested, you have the power to limit the amount of money you spend on attorney fees. If you are doing your own divorce, your money will be primarily spent on filing fees. On the other hand, if you choose to hire an attorney to do your uncontested divorce, your cost will still be significantly reduced because the attorney should quote you a fixed fee amount, thereby eliminating the need to bill you hourly.
Summary
In conclusion, if you can reach an agreement with your spouse to do an uncontested divorce, then you will potentially save thousands of dollars in legal fees. Most people would prefer not to spend all their money on attorney fees and would much rather keep it for themselves. Another reason to get an uncontested divorce is the added benefit of reducing the stress and contention that goes along with a contested divorce. Lastly, if the two of you are anxious to get divorced sooner, rather than later, then filing an uncontested divorce can reduce the time line down to as little as 61 days. It is definitely worth you giving it strong consideration and at least talking to your spouse about the benefits of filing an uncontested divorce. If you would like more information on filing your own uncontested divorce visit us at DIY Texas Divorce where we specialize in helping people like you do your own divorce.