Why do I Need A Divorce Attorney If I Can Do It Myself

You might think that you can handle a divorce by yourself, but if you want to launch a divorce action you will need a Divorce Attorney to handle the proceedings for you. Martin Vermaak has specialized Divorce Attorneys  that will assist you and offer their expertise to negotiate the terms of your divorce and to avoid any problems in the future.

There are five basic steps that ensure your divorce is handled in the correct manner:

Step 1: Preparation and the Consult

Meeting with a Specialist Divorce Attorney or Lawyer is integral to establish the exact conditions surrounding your decision to get divorced. This is when the drafting of legal documents occurs and they need to be very specific, so you won’t be able to do this step by yourself.

Step 2: Filing of Pleadings

Martin Vermaak Divorce Attorneys in Pretoria will handle the essential steps for you and ensure that specific documents are served on your Spouse; ten working days are then granted to await a response. Once acknowledgement of the divorce has been established, further steps regarding legal procedures have to be taken by your Attorney or Lawyer.

Step 3: The Settlement

Depending on the circumstances that lead to your decision to launch a divorce action, different terms and conditions will apply and affect the rest of the proceedings. Matters regarding division of assets and primary care and contact of Minor Children need to be addressed; this has to be handled by a professional to ensure that the correct steps are followed.

Stage 4: Discovery

Martin Vermaak divorce attorneys in Pretoria know exactly what will be required and what needs to be done at this stage. If your Spouse is trying to hide assets or important information from you, your Divorce Attorney will discover them and ensure that the proceedings are as equitable as possible, giving you what you deserve out of the settlement.

Stage 5: The Trial

It is vital at this stage that your Divorce Attorney defends your case in Court. This can be an extremely lengthy business, especially if you have a number of matters under dispute. Your Attorney or Lawyer can prevent the Trial from taking longer than necessary because every day that your Trial is disputed in Court will cost you a substantial amount of money.

Leave it in the hands of a Specialised Divorce Attorney:

You might have been under the impression that launching a divorce action is not nearly as complex as described above; it is not simply a matter of signing documents and going on your merry ways, even if your divorce is unopposed.
It is rare, but if you do happen to be in total agreement with your Spouse about the terms of your divorce and you both managed to come to the decision of separating in a civil and friendly manner, there still remain a number of legal steps to ensure that you obtain a legally binding divorce.

When it comes to division of assets, you have to make sure that your agreement is put in black and white, in case your relationship takes a turn for the worse in the future and your ex-spouse decides to dispute the terms of your agreement.
If you have Minor Children, their custody and what kind of access you and your Spouse will have to them needs to be established; the issue of maintenance also has to be agreed upon and put in writing – as does a Parenting Plan.

It should be clear to you why it is absolutely necessary for you to have a Specialised Divorce Attorney or Lawyer by your side during every step of your divorce proceedings? They will have your best interests at heart and ensure that you won’t unknowingly allow life changing details to slip through your fingers.

It might be tempting to avoid hiring an Attorney or a Lawyer to assist you with your divorce proceedings, but it is truly necessary to guarantee a legally binding and equitable divorce. There is, after all, a reason why Specialised Attorneys and Lawyers exist and why they have so many years of experience in this profession.

Irrespective of the situation you find yourself in, you should consider looking at divorce as the first step towards the start of a new life.

Read More:

What to do if you cannot locate your spouse and you want to get a divorce?