Typically, spouses who decide to file for divorce in Charlotte, North Carolina hire their own attorney to represent them. But, sometimes, a spouse may choose not to hire one, perhaps for financial or personal reasons. Unfortunately, divorce can be time-consuming and frustrating even under the best circumstances and if you don’t have an attorney to represent you, the process can be even more frustrating. If you are considering a divorce without a charlotte family law attorney, here’s what you can expect:
Slower Process
If you don’t hire a divorce lawyer, the process may take longer. An experienced family law attorney has the necessary experience to effectively and efficiently prepare legal documents as well as interpret these from the other party. Without a lawyer, you will need to do all of the interpreting yourself and prepare the documents to file with the court.
Free legal resources in the state may not be available to all or you may encounter long wait times. Without an understanding of the legal process, you may file unnecessary documents with the court or miss significant deadlines.
Costly Mistakes
If you don’t have a lawyer to prepare legal documents for you, you could file divorce paperwork with serious mistakes in it. And when you choose to hire a lawyer later, this may lead to your lawyer filing additional documents to communicate your proposed agreements to the court. If you don’t agree with any proposed agreements, you may not be able to effectively communicate this disagreement to the court.
Frustration at the Trial
Facing your spouse in a courtroom during a divorce hearing can be quite uncomfortable and frustrating. If you have an attorney, they will do most of the talking in court for you. But, if you don’t have one, you will have to speak for yourself in court. You may find this frustrating, particularly if the other party presents information you don’t agree with.
Hiring a divorce attorney makes a lot of sense if you don’t want to be at a disadvantage. This is especially important if you have children and you cannot agree on a custody arrangement with your spouse. A lot of factors go into a custody decision and a lawyer who understands family law can help you achieve favorable outcomes in the custody process.
Moreover, hiring a divorce attorney if you and your spouse have accumulated significant assets or have complex finances. An experienced lawyer request documents and the necessary research to get an accurate picture of your finances to ensure an equitable division of assets.