With Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s pending divorce dominating the headlines this week, we decided to take a look at DIY divorces; what it means, and the pros and cons of it. Sometimes divorces are just inevitable, in times like this the first thing that needs to be done is to communicate your feelings with your spouse effectively and make sure that a divorce is the only and appropriate next step.
A Di-It-Yourself (DIY) divorce can only be considered when both parties amicably agree to a divorce and their life together can be easily divided, the process is thought to be easier and cheaper that hiring a solicitor to litigate the situation. There are also some aspects of DIY divorces that you need to be aware of before deciding on how to proceed. Bear-in-mind that a DIY divorce automatically becomes more complicated when there are children involved. At Attwood & Co Solicitors we appreciate that the family law legal process can be a stressful and emotional one but we pride ourselves on being able to offer you professional and experienced advice. This post is going to discuss the pros and cons of DIY divorces as opposed to hiring a solicitor.
We’ll start with the good part of DIY divorce; the first advantage of DIY divorce is that it is straightforward and cost effective. For couples with little to no financial complications, there is no need to involve a solicitor as the couple can access the required documents online or in court, sign it, return it and wait for the judges ruling. It is also possible to consult a lawyer only when you need one. For example, you can collect and fill out the form and then hire a solicitor to answer your questions or just to double check that everything is filled out correctly. This works out cheaper than hiring a solicitor for the duration of the divorce process whilst still having access to professional support when you need it. Finally, it is no secret that getting a divorce can be a stressful ordeal for all involved, a DIY divorce allows you to approach the process at your own pace without feeling pressured to go through or sign papers by solicitors.
The cons of going through a DIY divorce is as follows; firstly although the cost of hiring a solicitor can be considered as expensive, it does not quite compare to the confidence you have knowing that everything is going to be double checked by an experienced professional. So the chances of making mistakes or misinterpreting parts of the form in minimal. During divorce proceedings it is always a good idea to have someone in your corner; sometimes the divorce is not amicable and in situations like that having someone in your corner that has your best interest at heart could be the difference between leaving the marriage with nothing and leaving with what you’re worth. And lastly, even if divorce is agreeable with both parties involved it can be hard to find a solution that suits everyone. We recommend having an impartial representation in the form of a solicitor to argue your point without letting emotions get in the way and from a non-biased point of view.
In conclusion, after going through a few pros and cons of DIY divorces it is fair to say that although it is a cheaper way of going through divorce it is not necessarily the best way, it can prove more expensive in the long run as there might be additional charges that were not taken into consideration at the start of the process. Also, in order to leave the union with what you are worth you need an experienced professional in your corner, doing what needs to be done to ensure that you leave the marriage with whatever you need to live comfortably after.
Get in touch with Attwood & Co Solicitors today – Call us on 01375 898 870 or fill out our Contact Form to find out more about how we can help you.