While certain marriages last a lifetime, many others end in divorce. In fact, statistics show that 41% of couples married in the United States will end up getting divorced. Unfortunately, divorce is a situation that many married couples must go through. It’s understandable to feel overwhelmed by the thought of going through divorce proceedings. With that in mind, it’s wise to seek divorce advice from an attorney. Considering that, here are five benefits of having an attorney on your side during a divorce.
- Assistance in Possibly Obtaining Custody
You’ll likely have many questions to ask your divorce lawyer, especially if your divorce has children involved. In fact, statistics show that over one million people in the United States must deal with parents that end up being divorced or separated annually. With that in mind, it’s understandable for a parent to want to obtain custody of their children. An attorney for child custody will help ensure the best possible case is made on your behalf in order for you to receive custody rights. - Interviewing Witnesses to Testify on Your Behalf
One major part of a divorce trial is gathering witnesses. It’s important to have witnesses that will testify on your behalf. In most cases, these witnesses will be asked about your parenting skills, past troubles with the law, and many more questions. Therefore, it’s best to ensure that witnesses are prepared that best represent your fitness as both a spouse and parent. - Dividing Marital Assets
Many divorce lawyers help couples who are about to be divorced with dividing marital assets. Marital assets are items of value that have been obtained while two people were married. Many marriages last a long time and during these years a lot of wealth can be accumulated. Therefore, having a lawyer on your side is essential during a divorce to help ensure you receive what you deserve. You don’t want to find that you’ve ended a divorce with only a mere fraction of the worth you’ve accumulated. Lawyers help both parties with divorce advice related to splitting assets in order to provide a resolution that satisfies both parties. - Help With Paperwork Related to Becoming Divorced
Ironically, February is the month in which most couples will complete divorce filings. Needless to say, divorce lawyers tend to take on a lot of cases during the month of February. Certain divorces can be filed with a small amount of paperwork. However, it’s best to have a lawyer assist you with preparing and understanding paperwork related to a divorce. In many cases, divorces will require that customized paperwork be created in order to satisfy both parties. Along the way, an attorney can help provide you with divorce advice that ensures you’re pleased with the finalized documents. - Preparedness for the Legal Defense of the Other Party
It’s rare to find that someone involved in a divorce doesn’t have a lawyer on their side. With that in mind, it’s best to ensure you’re adequately prepared for all potential aspects of a divorce by hiring a lawyer. You don’t want to find that you must represent yourself in a courtroom. There are simply too many mistakes that can be made by someone that doesn’t have adequate legal experience.
To summarize, there are several major benefits of having a divorce lawyer on your side. Many couples that are going through a divorce have children from their current marriage. Hiring a lawyer ensures you have the right type of divorce advice that best helps your case, especially in regards to obtaining custody. Many divorce proceedings have witnesses that testify on behalf of a party. You’ll find that lawyers are an immense help in assisting you with witness preparation. Many lawyers help married couples divide their assets in a fair manner that satisfies both parties. Lawyers are extremely valuable when it comes to preparing and looking over documents that relate to your divorce. You’ll likely find the other party is obtaining divorce advice from his or her lawyer, it’s best that you have legal representation as well.