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7 Reasons to Get a Divorce Attorney for an Uncontested Divorce

May 22, 2021 | Divorce

No divorce is easy and an uncontested divorce is one of the most difficult you can go through. While you may think it’s possible to go through it without lawyers, you should really rethink that assumption. You and your soon-to-be-ex-spouse may appear to be on the same page at first glance, but these cases are far more complicated than you’d think. You need a divorce attorney no matter what. And, if you need an attorney in Houston, TX, we’re here.

If you’re still not convinced, we’re going to provide a few of the reasons that you need a divorce attorney even in an uncontested divorce.

7 Reasons to Get a Divorce Attorney for an Uncontested Divorce

1. Knowing Your Rights in Houston, TX

Laws and rights vary by state, and you may not know all of the nitty-gritty details here in Texas. An attorney knows everything there is to know on the matter of divorce in your state, so it’s best to hire someone local. It’s especially important that you hire an attorney if you’ve been divorced before, but in another state. It’s highly likely that things aren’t going to go the exact same way as they did in that other state, and bringing the wrong presuppositions to the case could have serious consequences.

We’ll make sure you know your rights and that nothing in the divorce process goes wrong. Divorces are uncomfortable and messy enough without them being dragged out by mistakes and misinformation.

2. You Wanted to Share a Lawyer

Perhaps you and your spouse have been dealing in legal matters for years and you already have a lawyer together. Or, perhaps a family friend is a lawyer and is happy to represent both of you in court. In these cases: run. You can’t have one attorney representing both parties; especially not a friend or a lawyer you both know well. It creates a conflict of interest, and there’s going to be some bias in there somewhere.

You and your spouse need separate attorneys, preferably ones you’ve never met before so there’s zero chance of bias. Your attorney should care about winning your case, yes, but also be able to remain completely objective. We care about getting you the best deal possible but have no interest in harming your spouse. An attorney who knows you and your spouse, but likes you more, may try to hurt your spouse, even unknowingly, during your divorce.

3. It’s Negotiation Time

You and your spouse may think you can go attorney-free because you already agree on pretty much everything there is to talk about … but do you, though? At the start of a divorce, it can be easy to think you agree. It’s big, simple things you’re talking about. You keep everything you bought, they keep everything they bought. You get the house because you paid more, they’ve already been renting an apartment during your separation …

But then there are kids to talk about. Shared savings to deal with. Perhaps you still share a car, or maybe you can’t decide whether or not one of you should be paying spousal or child support. There are almost always details that you’ll need expert advice on, and you’re going to have to negotiate because there’s no way for everyone to come out perfectly satisfied. You need unbiased parties with you during the negotiation who can help you out.

4. You’re Not On Speaking Terms

Contrasting the point above, what if you can’t even speak to each other? You can’t go face to face so you can’t even deal with simple things like “you keep the car you bought, I keep the car I bought” and so on. In this case, you definitely need an attorney – if you try to talk to your spouse it’ll end in a fight. The divorce will go on forever. So, you need to send your attorney to talk to their attorney so there’s no direct contact until you’re ready.

Once you can face each other again you’ll have your lawyers present, so you’re going to be more civil. If a fight breaks out you have two parties there who can mediate things. How likely are you to air your deep grievances and annoyances while other people are in the room? Less likely, hopefully, than you would be to do it if you were alone with your spouse.

5. You Share Big Assets

We keep mentioning the simple things – you take what you own, they take what they own. But what if you own a business together, or you share a car, or you have kids? In these instances, you most definitely need an attorney, even if you come to an agreement alone. Your attorneys will help you see if you went wrong anywhere and can help you iron out the details of your agreement.

If you haven’t agreed pre-attorney, then we can help you come to an agreement. It may take weeks, it may take months, but eventually, there’ll be an outcome that works for both of you.

6. Things Get Done

There’s so much to cover in a divorce, and sometimes you have this “to-do list” that never seems to end. You put off things until next week because you’re not in the right mind to deal with it now. You push the big stuff to the bottom of the list because it’s too complicated. There are so many excuses you can make when nobody is holding you accountable; get an attorney involved so you have someone to answer to.

Once you have an attorney helping you and reminding you of everything you haven’t yet done, that’s when the pressure is on. You start making your way through your to-do list and you finally get to the bottom. Then your divorce can be finished and you can move on.

7. We Know Your Future

Attorneys have seen it all – the fights during a divorce and after. To help you avoid the conflicts that often arise after a divorce, we try to find the best deal possible during. We’ve had clients in a situation similar to yours before. If it’s not the situation, exactly, then perhaps your personality types remind us of an old case. We can get a good idea of the conflicts that might come up even after the papers are signed and help you prepare in advance.

We want to leave you with nothing to fight about. So, hire an attorney: we know you better than you know yourself – trust us on this. People change during a divorce, for better or for worse. We’ve seen it all, we’re prepared for it, and we want to make sure you’re prepared for it, too. We’ll outline everything that could happen even if there’s only a 1 percent chance of it occurring. Then we make sure you’re happy with the outcome, even if it does occur.

If you need an excellent attorney who’ll help you get the best outcome possible, contact us at Skillern Firm. We’re experts in family law and have lots of answers to frequently asked questions on divorce that you may like to browse.