If you are planning on filing for divorce or you have just been served with the divorce petition, your next step will likely be choosing an attorney to represent you in the divorce. However, some people may wonder why they can’t go it alone and represent themselves in court.
While there are no rules prohibiting doing just that, most people find that they are not well-served when attempting to represent themselves in a divorce. Below are some reasons why retaining a Pleasanton family law attorney is advisable.
Attorneys are skilled negotiators
Most divorcing spouses find that they are too emotionally invested to serve their own best interests when it’s time to negotiate the terms of your divorce and property settlement. You may get hung up on certain sticking points and fail to make progress. In some cases, you may let your soon-to-be ex browbeat or guilt you into accepting less than your share of the community property.
They can uncover stashed assets
Family law attorneys or the forensic accountants they recommend on your behalf can go over the financials with a fine-toothed comb to reveal hidden income streams and assets that less-than-forthright spouses might be stashing away.
Anticipate legal issues
While some divorces are fairly simple, others are far more complex. Will you need a QDRO to divide pension plans? How sturdy is that prenup you signed? A California family law attorney can assess, evaluate and anticipate legal problems that could crop up in your divorce.
Evaluate settlement offers
If your spouse’s divorce attorney presents you with a settlement offer, will you know whether it’s a good one or one that tends to give you and your interests short shrift? A divorce attorney will know the difference and can recommend accepting it or countering it with an offer that better reflects the outcome you would like to achieve.
Have your back when you’re up against the wall
Your divorce attorney is there for one purpose only: to represent your best interests in the divorce. If they see that you are about to get shafted or blindsided, they can immediately put a stop to it with legal maneuvers and motions you likely would not know about.
Now is definitely not a time to be penny wise and pound foolish. Invest in your post-divorce future by retaining a Pleasanton family law attorney for your divorce.