Flipping houses and DIY projects are one of the most popular genres of television programming, why not try a DIY divorce as well? Won’t it save you a lot of money not to hire an attorney? Don’t attorneys just attempt to add fuel to the fire to create more opportunity for litigation (read: cost)?
If you and your former spouse agree on every single issue associated with ending your marriage a DIY divorce may be for you. The first challenge you will encounter is mounds and mounds of paperwork. You will need properly formatted documents to receive a Judge’s approval and complete your divorce. You will need a few pointers on how to handle the paperwork and the process of the divorce itself. Our cost effective divorce strategies accomplish exactly that. Our paralegals can review or prepare your paperwork to ensure everything is in order and nothing has been missed. You can get answers to your questions and move to complete your DIY divorce efficiently.
However, note the highlighted text above: “agree on every single issue associated with ending your marriage.”
Why not try a DIY divorce to save some money? A divorce cannot be completed and a Judge will not issue final orders until every single issue within the divorce is completely resolved. You may believe the two of you are in complete agreement, until you actually start writing things out and handling the inherent details.
The completion of a divorce includes but is not limited to resolution of:
- Child custody and parenting time
- Child support
- Spousal Support
- The equitable division of community property (assets and debts) including the family home
- The division of retirement accounts and government benefits (a complex legal and financial process)
- The community property interest in any associated business or professional practice
The genuine answer to “why not try a DIY divorce to save some money” is found in a recent statement by a Carlsbad Family Law Judge. “I ask the couples who appear before me how long they’ve been trying to get divorced. The vast majority say ‘more than a year.” Why has it taken them more than a year? They have not been able to resolve issues in one or more of the items listed above. Even when they have reached agreement their paperwork is not in order when they appear before the Judge and they are told to return when it is properly structured or when details have actually been ironed out. Next available court date: 3 months.
Why not try a DIY divorce in Carlsbad? Simple, time and money. More than 75% of the parties who file for divorce in California attempt a DIY divorce at the outset. The facts are astonishing:
- Less than half of these cases can be completed without the parties retaining legal counsel – usually after a long delay
- DIY divorce usually takes a year or longer to actually complete
- The hours and hours of time required to stand in line to get help at the family law court self help desk (line forms before 6am) and to actually prepare the mountain of legal documents becomes unmanageable (loss of sleep, consumption of all non-work related hours in a day and weekend)
Are you looking to complete your divorce smoothly, cost-effectively and in the shortest possible time frame? We invite you to review the recommendations of former clients and the legal industry and contact Burke & Domercq or call 760-389-3927 to learn more or schedule an appointment.