Going through a divorce in Georgia is usually not a simple process. For most divorcing spouses, sorting out child custody and property division issues is not possible without representation from a family law attorney. However, there are some people who decide to represent themselves during a divorce.
Getting divorced without an attorney usually only works for spouses who had a short marriage with no children or significant financial assets. For the divorce to be resolved, both spouses would have to be committed to sorting through issues amicably and have no need for alimony. However, if one spouse decides to hire an attorney during the process, the self-represented spouse would immediately be at a disadvantage.
A family law attorney is helpful for spouses who do not understand the divorce process or family court. If self-represented litigants do not prepare all of the documents and evidence that is required for their court appointments, judges can become impatient and unsympathetic to their cases. As objective third parties, attorneys are also able to provide clients who are facing the end of a marriage with advice and guidance that is not skewed by heightened emotions. Attorneys may also inform their clients about divorce options that they were unaware of and take care of all of the divorce paperwork requirements.
While many divorcing spouses focus on ‘winning” their case by retaining the family home or securing a large award for spousal support, a divorce attorney can help a client to focus on the big picture. In some cases, ownership of a home on a single budget could have tax consequences that will render it unaffordable for a newly divorced spouse. An attorney can look at the ramifications of all property division scenarios and help a divorcing client to determine what property is worth fighting for.
