Benefits To DIY Your Divorce
There comes a time in most rocky marriages when both parties realize that divorce is inevitable. Often, there’s a sense of relief involved and a desire to move forward with divorce proceeding as soon as possible. Many modern couples are perfectly capable of ironing out their differences concerning child custody and division of property and assets without the help of a divorce lawyer — especially with the incentive of significant savings when going the do it yourself divorce route. The benefits of choosing this option include:
- Customized child custody arrangements. Family courts tend to award standardized visitation and custody agreements that fail to take individual needs and preferences into consideration.
- The absence of opposing attorneys may serve to reduce tensions between the divorcing couple.
- When two parties are able to come to mutual agreements concerning the terms of their divorce, future resentments are far less likely to be a part of the picture.
- Divorcing couples often feel powerless when attorneys are involved and like being in control of their own future.
- Money matters. Hiring divorce attorneys involves significant financial expenditure, and many couples would much rather put the money toward building a new life rather than give it to lawyers.
Nonetheless, even those seeking an uncontested divorce who are in agreement about division of property, assets, and child custody frequently run into stumbling blocks. The reason for this is simple — divorce is a complex legal process that can be rough for the novice to navigate. Filling out the necessary forms alone can cause confusion for the uninitiated. For instance, divorce petitions for couples without children are four pages long, while their counterparts who have children together face forms that are more than twice that long. Divorce fatigue can set in easily when dealing with complicated forms, especially since they need to be filled out just right in order to be deemed admissible for filing by the County Clerk’s Office. One tiny mistake can tie things up for months or even longer.
Another problem couples face with do it yourself divorce is that they rarely have the legal expertise necessary to make the process go smoothly. Misconceptions concerning child support, for instance, can potentially blossom into major rifts that prevent the proceedings from going forward as planned. Couples often end up seeking the services of a divorce attorney even in the case of an uncontested divorce simply because they’ve both become bogged down in the quagmire of legal details and forms.
The Best of Both Worlds
So how can fairly amicable couples who wish to divorce avoid becoming lost in the maze of the do it yourself divorce process? The answer lies in having the best of both worlds — the guidance of a caring, professional attorney skilled in helping couples navigate the tricky waters of a Texas divorce and the low costs and greater freedom involved in bypassing the traditional two-attorney courtroom divorce. Art Warren has devised a course designed for those seeking to handle their own divorce. The following is some of the information included in the course:
- Legal terms specific to divorce cases
- Texas residency requirements for divorce filing
- Proper procedure for filling out the forms
- How to Prepare for Your Court Appearance and What to Expect on Your Day in Court
- Strategies for sidestepping potential roadblocks
- How to complete the Original Petition correctly (with or without children)
- Child support guidelines
- How to complete the Final Decree correctly (with or without children)
- The differences between contested and uncontested divorces
- Essential filing information from start to finish
- Proper procedure for filing the final decree
Please feel free to contact Art Warren at your convenience for more information on how to get your uncontested divorce started or visit DIY Texas Divorce.
