A divorce is something that no one wants to go through, but with nearly half of marriages dissolving, there’s a good chance that you or someone close to you will be involved in a divorce at some point. Even if you and your spouse are amicable and able to come to agreements about child custody, assets, debts, and other shared responsibilities, having divorce legal help is beneficial to both of you. If you are not in agreement about these issues, then divorce legal help is even more important. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to pay a lot of money for a private attorney! A legal service or advocacy group can help you prepare for your case and get through this difficult time. Read on to learn about ways that getting divorce legal help is a good idea.
Help With Paperwork
When it comes to your divorce, there will be a lot of paperwork involved. One of you will need to file a dissolution of marriage petition. You’ll need information about yourself and your spouse as well as why you want a divorce and what terms you’re looking for. There will be a settlement agreement, financial documents, and if you have minor children, a document that outlines your parenting plan. All of these need to be filled out in their entirety and you’ll need to make sure that there are no errors. This is true whether your divorce is amicable or not.
A legal service can help you by making sure you have the correct forms and that you know how to file them. They can also tell you where to get the information that you need to report on the forms. They can let you know when the forms need to be filed, in what order, and where you need to sign. If you leave a form unsigned or you send it to the wrong place, that will hold up the divorce, so it’s important that you get it right the first time. Getting divorce legal help is a good way to get this done.
Help With Keeping Track of Deadlines
Whether you are hoping to settle your divorce or you end up having to go to trial, you will have many deadlines to meet. Your legal service can give you pointers on keeping track of all of those dates. They know what has worked for others in your situation and they can tell you the tips and tricks that they’ve used to make sure that no deadline goes unfulfilled.
Some pointers might include using a wall calendar in addition to or instead of your smartphone’s calendar, setting reminders on your phone to check that documents have been received or sent out, and having a special place in your home for all documents related to the divorce so nothing gets misplaced. They will be able to advise you on how to organize and store your paperwork so everything is at hand when you need it.
Divorce Legal Help Case Management
If you think that you’ll be headed to trial, a judge might ask you to start the case management process. This is a conference that will begin to set some guidelines and deadlines for you to keep in mind as you go through your divorce. You’ll need a variety of documents and information. For example, if you have children, you’ll need to put together a parenting plan. If you can’t come up with one on your own, the judge might tell you that you have to go to mediation to settle on a plan. You also might have to exchange written questions with your spouse about your financial assets and obligations or other matters.
Divorce legal help from an expert is useful to assist with all of the different documents you’ll need. They can point you toward resources that can help you decide what to ask on your discovery questions and how to answer the questions that your spouse asks you.
Referrals When Necessary
There might be some times during the course of a divorce case when you need an expert. This could come in the form of a lawyer, a mediator, a private investigator, or some other professional. A legal service can refer you to people in your area who can help. They can also talk to you about your case to determine whether you need one of these professionals in the first place; in many simple divorces, it’s possible to do it on your own with the assistance of the service. This will save you and your spouse a lot of money if you don’t need to hire a private attorney.
Research Services
Your legal service case manager will be able to help you research whatever topics you need to for your case. They will want you to be as prepared as possible and knowing what to research and how to find the best sources of information will help. In addition, they can research some topics for you if they don’t have the information that you are looking for. Knowing that you are well-prepared for your case is invaluable and will help you get the best possible outcome in your divorce.
Tips on Your Courtroom Appearance
If you need to go to court, you’ll be understandably nervous. Your legal service group can help you relax by letting you know what to expect. They can help you decide what to wear and how to behave. They’ll also tell you how the hearing, deposition, or other court appearance is likely to go, when you should speak, and what types of questions you might expect to be asked. This type of information can make you less anxious, which can make the entire process go more smoothly.
While you didn’t want to be in the position to go through a divorce, having trusted divorce legal help or an advocacy group by your side will make it less painful. While you are dealing with the dissolution of your marriage, your legal aid professionals will be able to assist you in making the right choices for yourself, your home, your children, and your finances. Contact your legal service group to learn more about what services they can offer you as you navigate this difficult situation.