When people think about filing for divorce, they often think about filing “pro se,” which means without an attorney. Perhaps they have a friend who handled their own divorce and seems to be happy with the outcome. Perhaps they have done some research on the internet, and they have seen some of the many web sites which advertise products, usually sets of forms, that they can purchase inexpensively and use in their Florida divorce case. There are many reasons why people believe that they can represent themselves in their Florida divorce cases. Unfortunately, parties who do represent themselves in divorce proceedings are unable to address certain issues that will ultimately create problems for them in the future.
Parties who are represented by attorneys in their divorce cases are often satisfied with the outcomes. While retaining an attorney to represent you in your Florida divorce does not guarantee that you will get the exact result that you want in your divorce, it will give you the best possible chance at coming as close to your desired result as is possible. There are at least three ways in which the knowledge and experience of your Florida divorce attorney will help you to achieve the outcome that you are hoping for.
Your attorney can help you to come out of your divorce in as strong a financial position as is possible under the circumstances. It may seem counterintuitive to say that paying someone to represent you will cost you less than representing yourself, but this principle has been proven time and time again. Sometimes, pro se litigants accept property settlements or other financial provisions in a divorce which are less than they could have received had they been represented by counsel. Other pro se litigants have agreed to terms which have long term financial consequences that they did not anticipate. Your attorney can help you to assess proposed terms in light of what you are hoping to accomplish, so that you can make informed decisions about which, if any, proposed agreements to accept.
Working with an attorney can actually increase your chances of being able to settle your divorce without going to trial. This may also seem counterintuitive, because on the surface it would appear that bringing attorneys into a situation which is already adversarial would make for more conflict, not less. However, if you and your soon to be former spouse have a hard time communicating with each other, as many divorcing couples do, you are likely to feel relieved when your attorney takes over the task of communicating with your spouse and their attorney. Once attorneys are doing the communicating, the level of conflict usually decreases and makes way for productive discussions about how the divorce could be resolved through settlement.
The third way in which your attorney will help you to get the most out of your Florida divorce is by making sure that all of your forms are submitted properly, and in accordance with all applicable filing deadlines. Divorce cases involve a lot of paperwork and numerous deadlines, and it is all too easy to make a mistake. Your attorney will ensure that your Florida divorce case goes through all of the required stages on time, on its way to becoming final.
If you would like to learn more about your legal options regarding your Florida divorce or any other important family law matter, please contact the Law Offices of James S. Cunha, P.A. at 561-429-3924 or via email at [email protected]. We serve family law clients throughout Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Wellington, Jupiter, Palm Beach County, Broward County, and Martin County areas.
