“Do I need a divorce attorney?” is a common question among people considering divorce. While divorce lawyer fees may seem daunting, reliable legal help from a family lawyer during this sensitive time is vital to protect your rights and safeguard your children.
How can an attorney assist you during a divorce process in California? Paul Seabrook, family lawyer and founder of Seabrook Law Offices in San Jose, CA, mentions eight points.
1. Providing Knowledge of Family Courts and How They Work
While anyone has the legal right to represent themselves in court, people who aren’t lawyers may not know the required legal steps or necessary documents.
If you self-represent while your spouse hires a divorce attorney, you will likely find yourself at a significant disadvantage. Not having a lawyer may jeopardize your chances for a fair ruling on crucial matters such as spousal support, child support, asset division, and custody.
2. Providing Objective Advice During a Difficult Time
Divorce is a time of high stress and emotional turmoil. When you are hurting, it’s hard to think correctly and focus on what’s best for you and your kids in the long term. A divorce lawyer can help you put on your grown-up pants and handle the process carefully while protecting your interests.
Your divorce attorney can act as a buffer, enable mediation even when it seems almost impossible, and make sure you present a convincing case in a family court.
3. Giving You a Broad View of All Your Options
As a legal professional focusing on family law, a divorce attorney can help you view all existing options, some of which you may not have considered yourself. Based on prior experience, your lawyer can tell you what terms a judge is likely to accept and what to include or omit in your settlement proposal.
4. Taking Care of the Paperwork
If you aren’t a lawyer, you can get lost in legalese quickly during a divorce process. A divorce attorney knows which forms apply to your particular case and how to complete documentation to improve your chances of creating a favorable impression with the family court. If you self-represent, the other side can use an innocent mistake to portray you as a careless or irresponsible person.
5. Protecting Your Rights
Some divorces proceed amicably, with both spouses in agreement about ending the marriage, asset division, and custody arrangements. In other cases, sadly, the process may involve manipulation, extortion, and blackmail, particularly for victims of domestic violence or emotional abuse.
A controlling, vindictive spouse may threaten to leave you destitute or declare that you will never get child custody. Without an accurate legal perspective on divorce law, such manipulation can bully the victim into giving up on their legal rights.
You should know that although California is a no-fault divorce state, proof of intimidation, financial abuse, or any form of violence creates a considerable advantage for the victim in family court. A divorce attorney can help you avoid confusion and present a truthful picture of your situation.
6. Reducing Stress
Even under the best circumstances, a divorce is a transitional period that involves a lot of stress. You may have to deal with selling the family house, moving, and re-evaluating your budget, all while processing the separation emotionally and helping your children adjust.
A divorce attorney can help you reduce stress by handling all technical matters, acting as a mediator between you and your spouse, and promoting a faster legal process.
7. Seeing the Big Picture
During the stressful time of separation and divorce, many people have a “tunnel vision” that makes it difficult to see beyond each point they win or lose. A good divorce lawyer may help you consider all aspects – finances, custody, your future, and your children’s future – to settle the case without wasting more time or money than necessary.
8. Handling Divorce Lawyer Fees
Many people hesitate to file for divorce because of a disadvantaged financial situation. For example, you may have been a stay-at-home parent for many years while your spouse controlled all the money. A California family court may order one spouse to pay the other spouse’s lawyer fees in these cases.
If you need a divorce but aren’t sure how to afford it, please contact us to discuss your options.
Seabrook Law Offices: Divorce Lawyers Near Me
While we can’t promise a painless divorce, we will leverage all our legal knowledge and experience to achieve the best possible outcome in a family court and help you get on with your new life. At Seabrook Law Offices, we understand what you are going through and will represent you with the utmost dedication, respect, and integrity, supporting you during this incredibly stressful time.
Are you searching for a “divorce attorney near me”? To schedule a consultation at Seabrook Law Offices, call our team at 408-560-4487 or complete our online form.
Copyright© 2021. Seabrook Law Offices. All rights reserved.
The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information in this post should be construed as legal advice from the individual author or the law firm, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting based on any information included in or accessible through this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.
Seabrook Law Offices
6840 Via Del Oro, Suite 265
San Jose, CA 95119
Phone: 408-560-4487
https://seabrooklawoffices.com
