Divorce is one of the most stressful events in our lives. The whole period leading up to a divorce is very unpleasant because we are trying to convince ourselves that we really need to divorce the person we once loved so much and wanted to spend a life with. However, a toxic marriage is very bad for both spouses, and often that is not only, but also the best solution. Yet this will not diminish both the emotional instability in those moments, as well as any other complications that arise.
Divorce can be a really complicated endeavor, especially if you have children, property, and other things to share. Then we often come to the situation that we cannot agree with the soon-to-be-ex-spouse but that the court has to make decisions for us. In those moments, you will most likely need a legal representative. You will face a lot of legal problems that you will not know how to solve, and also your judgment may be hampered by the anger you may feel towards your ex-spouse. We will tell you clear signs that you should hire a specialist for your divorce so that everything is finished as quickly as possible, with as few problems as possible.
1. Permanently disrupted relationship with an ex-spouse
It is clear that a relationship with your ex-partner cannot be perfect, otherwise you would not be where you are, and that is in the process of divorce. Still, there are those couples who have outgrown their relationship and want to take new steps in life, but that doesn’t mean they hate each other. They can still be friends after all. In these cases, the whole process can often be completed without a lawyer.
But if there is a lot of bad blood among you, then it is impossible to solve everything peacefully. In many cases, they do not want to talk to each other at all and discuss potential solutions, and even if they agree to talk, very often after a few minutes they will start arguing and insulting each other. If it is impossible to have a sober conversation, then lawyers are unnecessary.
One of the most common cases, when a lawyer needs to be hired immediately, is when infidelity is the reason for the divorce. Then one spouse literally hates the other and everything will turn into chaos if they try to end the marriage on their own.
2. Conflict over child custody
Even couples who do not have bad blood between them and whose divorce seems like it is going to be short and simple can get into serious disputes once it comes to topics related to children. For every parent, the relationship with the children is the most important and that is why very often they cannot agree on child custody. This is of course the case when the children are minors, when they are adults then the situation is different.
Custody is the main topic, but also child support, then how much time and when kids will spend with a parent who is not primary custodian, with whom they will go to vocations and so on. This is a very complex topic that even the court cannot easily resolve, especially not the parents themselves since a lot of emotions are involved. That is why the presence of divorce and family lawyers is needed here because they are experienced in such situations and will facilitate the process for both parties.
3. Spousal support
As family law experts from Kabir Family Law told us, spousal support “is needed when one person within the marriage breakdown is significantly financially weaker than the other and requires another form of income to meet their basic needs.”
Some couples easily agree on spousal support, but it is much more common than the person who needs to pay for spousal support does not want to do so. Whether you are the person seeking spousal support or the one who needs to pay for it, and you do not agree with it or you do not agree with the amount you will receive/pay, the presence of a lawyer is necessary. It happens very often, and in many cases, it is unintentional, that the amount is inappropriate as neither side has experience.
4. Informal marriage
Informal marriage also called common law marriage is a marriage that is not officially documented. Many states do not recognize informal marriage, so the first thing you need to know is whether it is recognized in the state where you live. Somewhere it is not recognized at all, and somewhere it is recognized as part of committed intimate relationships. How informal marriage is classified in your country will have a great impact on the further development of the situation.
In most cases, you need a lawyer, especially if you have acquired property, have children, and the like. Then divorce is even more complicated than when it comes to formal marriage.
Another problem arises if the state does not recognize informal marriage because then the court cannot even end it. That’s why you both need legal representation to come to end your informal marriage through settlement.
5. You are rich
You don’t have to be a billionaire, but if you have high-value assets, properties, and so on, don’t risk starting a divorce process without a lawyer. It makes a big difference whether you acquired those assets together or you acquired all of that before marriage, inherited, etc. The distribution of all assets will be complicated and you will have security by having a representative.
6. The other side hired an attorney
If your ex-partner hired a lawyer, you have nothing to wait for, but hire one right away. It will be disastrous for you to represent yourself while the other side is represented by a professional.
Conclusion
We know that they would like the divorce to end as soon as possible and that you do not have to go to court or involve lawyers in all that. However, in many cases, this is not possible, and if even then you refuse to have a lawyer, it will backfire and end up worse for you than it could.