You’re getting divorced, you and your spouse are good, both of you have agreed with each other terms. Lawyers are indeed expensive – that’s given. But do you really need an attorney?
The answer to that question is simple – it depends.
For example, if you and your spouse are both good with the judicial forms, have agreed to divide your properties and assets, probably, you don’t need one. Besides, if both of you just married recently and all of your assets are personal property, or maybe you have both agreed with a prenuptial agreement, then hiring a lawyer is not necessary.
However, even if both of you agreed about dividing your property, for the purpose of drafting, you may need an attorney. Some assets such as pensions and retirement (if both married for a long time) needs complicated documents to legalized the change of the beneficiaries.
Aside from this, vehicles and any properties that are conjugal, titles should be transferred legally and correctly. If you have real estate properties or possible debts, dividing this can be difficult, especially if you have a conjugal business. These kinds of scenarios might need professional help with divorce attorneys.
Why You Might Need a Divorce Attorney
You need a divorce attorney when kids are involved especially if both of you have differences with parenting terms. But if you are both great with co-parenting and open for communication with each other, you might not need an attorney to help you with the process.
However, if both of you doesn’t have a custody agreement or have a misunderstanding about visitation, professional help with a lawyer is a must to fight for your rights. This kind of scenario is applicable only if your children are still minors, but if you have older children, they can manage to drive themselves back and forth to both of his or her parent’s home.
It’s a great idea to make an agreement to a divorce attorney which can help and give you professional advice if you and your spouse might have overlooked some legal terms and conditions about the custody. Your attorney can also help and explain to you the long-term result of the agreement. Oftentimes, both parties agree on the child’s custody with the current ages and needs but fail to make a schedule or changes if the child becomes older.
If you and your spouse need a fully legal agreement on every issue in your family, it is recommended to have a lawyer with you as early as you can. It is true lawyer can be expensive, but hiring at the early stage of the process can help you to fight for your rights immediately.
Lawyers may be expensive at some Houston family law firm, but this is a form of investment to protect your financial assets and your rights for your children.