Do I Really Need a Divorce Lawyer? Is Pro Se for Me?

There’s an old saying about divorce; it goes something like this, “Do you know why divorce is so expensive? Because it’s worth it!” All kidding aside, divorce is expensive with legal fees, setting up a new residence, going from one income to two, etc. It all adds up. Some people try and cut costs and represent themselves in a divorce hearing, called Pro Se Representation. This can save some money, but you can run into problems, especially if your divorce is heated and issues such as child custody are in dispute.

Of course Larsen Law Firm is going to say that it’s wrong to go Pro Se, you have a dog in the fight!

While there is a bit to this assumption, there are other significant issues. A divorce attorney in Provo would obviously want clients and business, right? Truth be told, we’d rather that no family needs to go through what we see each day. It’s heartbreaking for all and really rather sad. Our goal is to help each of our clients transition to a new normal and move to healing as soon as possible.

Some clients are fine doing their divorce Pro Se. Nothing major is being disputed, both parties are committed to working together, and the parties have a communication style or working parenting plan that can and will be used to deal with issues as they arise, so going without representation makes sense.

There are numerous online tools to help those who are representing themselves. One of the most helpful is a Utah-specific calculator to determine child support. You can also find sample parenting plans so that you have a starting point from which to draft your parenting plan.

Whenever there are children in a divorce action, family law judges are very careful to ensure that the children’s best interests are at the forefront. When divorcing parents can show that they are acting with the children’s best interests as the guiding principle to all, their proposed plans will be much more likely to be accepted and adopted by the courts.

What about me? We fight all the time and he/she wants to limit my access to the children?

Unfortunately, not every couple is able to work together, and there are reasons that retaining a divorce lawyer in Provo is the way to go. At Larsen Law Firm, we’re experienced in these situations and work hard to help protect yours and your children’s best interests.