Generally, Pasadena divorce lawyers dislike the trend of states offering DIY divorce forms. While this is usually done with the motivation of trying to help lower-income people save money when filing for divorce, the forms can have unintended consequences.
In Texas, for example, one judge recently encountered a woman who had listed on the form that she had no children. She did in fact have three children, but thought that not fighting with her estranged husband in front of the kids meant that they were not "involved" in the divorce. If the judge had not remembered the woman's children from a previous case, she would have had to come back to court at a later date in order to handle child custody issues. This would have created additional costs for the court as well as the woman seeking the divorce.
Issues relating to child support and/or spousal support are another reason why a DIY divorce is often not a great idea. Settling for less child support than you are legally entitled to receive can mean that you may struggle to provide basic necessities for your children. If you were financially dependent upon your spouse, alimony could make getting reestablished after the divorce much easier.
If you are concerned about the cost of filing for divorce, a better alternative to a DIY divorce is using the services of a divorce mediator. A mediator will help you sort out the terms of a settlement between you and your spouse, then an attorney can help prepare the necessary papers. This is substantially cheaper than litigation, but still makes sure that all of your legal rights are protected.
How Can We Help?
If you need to find a qualified attorney to handle your divorce-related concerns, please call our office at (626) 683-8113 or email us at info@PasadenaLawOffice.com. Our Pasadena divorce firm is staffed with skilled attorneys who can provide the representation you need to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.