Do It Yourself Divorce? What Is the Harm?
In this day and age, “do it yourself” has become a slogan for numerous enterprising individuals seeking cost-effective solutions to various issues in daily life. From renovating homes, constructing furniture, designing or building hobbyist items, and even completing legal processes typically undertaken by attorneys, the “do it yourself” spirit has infected people with a belief in their own abilities and a proclivity to put in their own work before sitting back to pay a professional.
In many spheres of life, doing it yourself can be a great method to save on time and expense, to build one’s own skills, and to enjoy the ability to apply an individualized approach to one’s goal. However, when it comes to legal issues and divorces, doing it yourself can be a grave mistake.
While the divorce process has been greatly simplified over time, there are still a great deal of moving parts associated with such proceedings in Florida. Despite the availability of numerous resources online espousing a simple and easily executable approach to divorce, dozens of elements, including assets and debt, shared children, family homes and vehicles, the existence of infidelity or abuse, the question of alimony and compliance with tax laws, all must be dispensed with properly. And an error can cause difficulties much more significant than simply added stress or delay. Many agreements formed during divorce are not automatically modifiable, meaning a mistake may sit on the legal record for years or more. For instance, if parties enter an agreement with non-modifiable alimony, an error may indeed be difficult to fix. And provided both parties comply with the law regarding financial disclosure, it is difficult to find a court to rehear the divorce case or make major changes to the agreement.
There may be many tempting reasons to take on a divorce or other family law matters by yourself, but these reasons are often misleading. The threat of an attorney’s bill, often imagined to be larger than it actually would be, can make a do it yourself divorce look like the less expensive option. However, the reality is that each error, no matter how small, made during your divorce process can cost money. The money spent attempting to correct these mistakes (and even spent on counsel once an individual has already encountered problems in pursuing the case his or herself) can pile up much higher than that which would be spent on permitting a professional to handle the case.
If you are considering a divorce or separation, or are encountering some other family law issue, do not get taken in by the illusive promise of a quick and easy do it yourself process. It is vital that the particulars of your case receive an individualized approach from qualified professionals. At Schwartz | White, skilled and experienced Boca Raton family law attorneys are available to assist you with all types of family law issues, and can execute your divorce or separation with minimal cost and stress to you. Call 561-391-9943 for a consultation today.
