What to Do if Your Spouse Doesn't Want to Hire a Divorce Attorney?

Some people choose to defend themselves on their own during divorce instead of hiring a lawyer to represent them in the courtroom. Although this is a more difficult route to go, some spouses cope with the legal aspects of the divorce by themselves. They decide it either to reduce expenses and save money or for some personal reason. You need to know what happens and what to expect if your spouse doesn't want to hire an attorney.

If your spouse refuses to hire a divorce attorney, that doesn't mean you should do the same. Let he/she act as his/her own legal representation during the trial, whereas you'll have an attorney to speak for you and to advise you when needed.

Your spouse and your attorney are going to pass important information between one another. For that reason, document signing and paperwork filing may take a lot of time. This is because many spouses attempt to interpret divorce laws independently. Besides, many spouses tend to file papers incorrectly. It happens because the vast majority of people lack the knowledge and experience to do so accurately. On the top of that, many people miss important deadlines, either intentionally or unintentionally. All of this will prolong the case.

It's highly likely that your spouse will spend a lot of time trying to interpret the legal documents on his/her own, which often leads to confusion for both parties. That drastically delays divorce process.

If your spouse is not capable of understanding something, he/she will go for free resources rather than accepting a legal counsel. As a consequence, misunderstandings by your spouse will yield more work for both your attorney and you. The things get even more complicated if your spouse wants to change your proposed agreement. Then you will have a tough time communicating with him or her regarding those alterations.

Note that your attorney is not supposed to provide a legal advice to your spouse if he/she asks for it. In a divorce, one attorney won't represent both parties (even if both spouses agree with it), in order to avoid conflict of interests. It could be frustrating when you have to remain silent while your spouse talks in court, especially when he/she speaks untrue. Be prepared for it!

As mentioned above, your spouse will speak for himself or herself in court while your lawyer will speak on your behalf. Your divorce attorney will prepare you for trial in advance, advising you what to do and when to speak. Your spouse will be his/her own spokesperson throughout the whole court process. That means he/she won't get the same preparation like you.

Unfortunately, your spouse's decision to not hire a divorce lawyer will affect you, too. You have seen what to expect if your spouse chooses it. To learn more about what to do in such a case, contact cainandherren.com/family-law-services.