Do You REALLY Need a Divorce Lawyer?

Deciding to get a divorce is often the hardest choice that you will ever make. You wanted to spend your life with one person, and it can be hard to realize that your life isn't going the way that you had planned. 

It can be even worse when you have children. Though you want the best for them, which should be a home with two loving children, you are probably not giving that to them. It might be better for them to live in two homes, while still spending time with both of their parents.

Even if you aren't sure, the truth is that divorce might be the best option for you and your spouse. Living together may be too hard, and it just isn't working out! 

That being said, you may be wondering if you can get divorced without a lawyer. Though there are times when you don't need one, most of the time you should have someone who is on your side. 

Here are some reasons why you need to have a lawyer to help you through your divorce. 

You may be too emotional. Many couples going through divorce are emotional. They may be grieving and unable to comprehend what is going on. They may just want to get it over with, no matter what they have to sign. They may give away everything, just to get it over with. 

On the other hand, others are too angry, and they just want a fight. Either way (and everything in between), you are going to need someone who is thinking clearly to help you get a fair divorce settlement that works for everyone. 

This is especially true for parents. Parents should never go through a divorce without a lawyer. It can become very complicated when children are involved. Both parents are not going to want to give up their children, and it can become very messy. You need someone who can think clearly to help you come up with the best solution for your children (not yourself)!

Child support can also be very hard to determine, so you should have a lawyer to help you through that discussion also. 

You don't want to make any mistakes when going through a divorce. Google is not the answer for everything, especially when it comes to getting divorced. You don't want to read something that is wrong and realize that you didn't get divorced properly.

You need a lawyer to ensure that you don't make any mistakes when going through the whole process. He or she will ensure that you file properly so that you can safely say that you are divorced without a shadow of a doubt!

Your spouse already got a lawyer. Even if you decide to try to go without a lawyer, any time that one party gets a lawyer, the other needs to have one also. Otherwise, you have already lost! 

No matter how bad you don't want to hire a lawyer, that can be a big mistake. You and your ex are going to be too emotional to think clearly. You may just want to get through it, no matter what it costs you. However, if you want to come out the other side in decent shape, you need to fight for what is right. 

It can be even worse when you have children. No one really wants to give up their children, and they may fight and fight, without thinking about what is best for them. 

You also don't want to make any mistakes when you are getting divorced. It is really easy to do, so you need someone who knows what he or she is doing!

Previously published on Medium.