Why a Do-It-Yourself Divorce May Not Be Beneficial For You and Your Family

Parties are able to file to dissolve their marriage on their own, without the assistance of legal counsel. This allows for many people who are unable to afford legal counsel to utilize the legal system and move forward with their desires of achieving a divorce. While legal counsel is not a necessity, it is an incredible asset to have. When a party represents themselves in a divorce, or in any legal case for that matter, they are presenting to the court that they are competent to act and represent their interests to the same level of an attorney. Therefore, they are attesting to the court that they are aware of the rules of evidence, the statutory considerations in their cases, defenses available, and statutory deadlines.

Evidence is essential to cases as without the proper presentation of evidence key information can be kept out of the court’s considerations. If the court is unable to evaluate and consider important evidence the support the positions of the parties then the trial merely becomes an evaluation based on he said she said. Prior to even reaching the stage where evidence can be considered there may be issues with meeting appropriate statutory deadlines for disclosing information to the other party. At the beginning of each case an exchange of discovery items is supposed to occur between the parties. There are specific items that must be furnished, deadlines that must be adhered to, and filing requirements that could greatly affect one’s ability to evaluate the case if the appropriate items are not provided in the appropriate time. In additional to missing out on the opportunity to evaluate a case fully, missed deadlines could lead to sanctions by the court to encourage adherence to the rules.

Divorce Attorneys Jacksonville FL

Attorneys are often wonderful assets to cases. Each Jacksonville divorce is unique and the backing of sound legal knowledge as to how the court will evaluate the statutes surrounding each case is essential to success. Things like alimony, equitable distribution of property, time sharing with children, and child support awards all have very specific statutory language that, when used appropriately, could possibly further benefit your case in your favor. Without the knowledge of these statutes and the defenses available to claims made against you, your case could fail. The do it yourself divorce may be appeal to you early on due to the lack of money spent on attorneys, but oftentimes the regret comes far too late after the judge issues his final ruling.

Protect yourself, your family and your interests. If you’re considering filing for a divorce or representing yourself in a family law case schedule a consultation with Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A. to have an experienced attorney fully evaluate your case.