Can You Get A Divorce Without A Lawyer?

Hiring the services of a divorce lawyer can cost a lot of money. Most of the time, divorce lawyer fees are the reason why divorces can get costly.

Such high costs lead some people to ask whether a lawyer is necessary, and further, explore the idea of getting a divorce without a lawyer.

It is important to keep in mind that there are alternative types of divorces. With that being the case it begs the question, can you get a divorce without a lawyer? Find out below.

The answer to that is yes. You can get a divorce without having a lawyer representing you or your spouse’s sides. Additionally, it is not always necessary that a divorce case has to take place in a courthouse.

How Much are Divorce Lawyers?

A divorce lawyer’s services can vary in cost depending upon their geographical location. However, the national average cost of a divorce lawyer ranges from $220 to $250 per hour.

And at $250 an hour or so, things can get pretty expensive pretty quickly. And the longer your divorce takes, the more expensive it becomes.

Your divorce will only become more expensive if you and your spouse require the help of a divorce lawyer to resolve issues. Yet, thankfully, you and your spouse can have a successful divorce without the supreme court or a divorce lawyer.

How to get a Divorce Without a Lawyer

One of the ways to file for divorce without the presence of a lawyer is through a Do-It-Yourself divorce. As the name suggests, this type of divorce is something that you and your spouse can do amongst yourselves.

A DIY divorce is less expensive, as you may expect. Another beneficial thing is that the process of a DIY divorce is much easier compared to courthouse divorce cases that have attorneys involved.

Remember though, a DIY divorce is best when the divorce is uncontested. This means that you do not have any issues to resolve or decide during the process as it is taken care of before the divorce.

You and your spouse are a good candidate for a DIY divorce if both of you are/have:

Agreed on issues. Such issues may include the division of property, child support, child custody, alimony or spousal support, and more.
Complete information about your family’s assets and debts
Comfortable with the agreements made for child custody and support

Thus, it is best to have a lawyerless divorce if you and your spouse both have fully understood your rights and obligations before having the divorce.

Another way to get a divorce without the need of a divorce lawyer is through mediation.

A divorce mediator is suitable if you and your spouse have unresolved issues. In a divorce mediator, a professional can help you and your spouse put a closure on your issues.

When You Need an Divorce Attorney

Even with high costs, hiring a divorce attorney may very well be worth it. Especially if there are kids involved and/or there are issues you and your spouse do not agree on. In those cases, it can be very helpful to have someone looking out for your best interests.

Hiring a divorce attorney in situations like these can save you a lot of money and stress in the long term.

So, bottom line here is, yes, you can get a divorce without a lawyer. And in some situations that makes total sense. In others (ie. when you have kids and/or there are disputes over property, etc.), you should seriously consider hiring a divorce attorney.