Several reasons why you should let a lawyer handle your Florida divorce case.
It may seem like a real good idea to do your own Florida divorce and try to save money by not hiring a lawyer. But unfortunately it may not work out so well. It should be pointed out that you have every right to represent yourself and handle your own Florida divorce. But the devil is in the details. Everybody wants a simple and fast divorce but it may not be so simple. In the end you may say, “Gee I wish I would have paid that lawyer those few dollars for them to do it correctly for me.”
It is true that an uncontested divorce where everybody agrees on everything and cooperates can be simple, but only if there are no children or property or alimony issues. However, it's only simple once you have figured out the entire process that takes place in the court system for uncontested divorces.
It will be your responsibility to accomplish the matter, the judge is not permitted to help. And it's probably not a good idea to get your information from the internet because you stand a chance that you are getting incorrect information, although certainly there are lots of good resources on the internet if from a reputable source. But if you're stuck on a particular issue on a divorce, there may not be anybody reliable to turn to as there would be if you had a lawyer.
Some people find the act of learning something new enjoyable. But for others to represent yourself and handle your own divorce can lead to frustration. Sure, perhaps after a great deal of effort you may well be able to figure everything out. If you can figure it out and get it done, you are to be congratulated. At the end you may feel a sense of pride that you did it yourself. Or you may feel that it was a waste of time and that you should have used a lawyer. It can be a frustrating experience when you don't know the answers to important questions. And if you start your own divorce but cannot finish and have to hire a lawyer, you are probably going to feel that you wasted your valuable time.
In any event it will be your responsibility to learn the rules, prepare and submit to the court all of the required documents, and schedule your final hearing or otherwise conclude your Florida divorce case as required by your particular jurisdiction.
Bare in mind that if your case involves division of assets or children or property, there are numerous, numerous rules and requirements. Lawyers spend years getting educated in the law and you may not have the time or patience to learn everything that is necessary for your case. One wrong word, or one missing word in a document that you prepare, and you could get a result that you're not going to be happy with.
If your case is contested, in other words the parties do not agree on things and the judge has to decide matters, there is a tremendous amount of knowledge that you would have to have in order to adequately represent yourself. The laws on each particular topic of your case can be quite complex.
While it is certainly understandable that some people want to save money and not pay a lawyer to represent them in a Florida divorce, and handle it themselves, it may or may not be in your best interest to do so. You may be surprised that the attorney's fee is not going to be as high as you think. It is certainly worth investigating the cost and the advisability of using a lawyer. Aside from the dollars and cents cost, your goal is likely to be getting your case over with quickly, moving on with your life and enjoying your life. A Florida divorce lawyer may be able to help.