The Frugal Divorce - Getting Divorced Without Going Broke (I)

by Steven Kokensparger

If you are unfortunate enough to find yourself caught in a divorce during these tough economic times, you're going to wonder how you can make sure your interests are protected in your divorce without breaking the bank in the process. Here are five suggestions from http://www.midohiodivorce.com to help keep the cost of your divorce litigation in check.

1. Don't even consider going it alone unless you have no other choice.

One trend which has been frustrating family courts has been the increase of "pro se" divorce filings. "Pro se" is the term commonly used for parties who are without legal counsel. Although a divorce can be a complex matter fraught with opportunities to make extremely costly errors, the court generally cannot provide legal advice to the parties nor can it refuse to hear the case without involvement of qualified divorce counsel. Even with a slight error in language, the end result can be the loss of an interest in retirement funds, the loss of child custody, the inability to discharge debts in bankruptcy, errors in spousal support calculation, and numerous other possibilities. Even if the end result is satisfactory, going it alone can result in needless frustration, a substantial, and unforeseen, time commitment on the part of the pro se parties and the court, and more cost than initially anticipated in light of additional court costs and time away from work finalizing the case.

When looking at the cost of divorce litigation, parties often look at the expense of the attorney and court costs alone without taking other, indirect, costs into account. While an attorney may charge $1,500.00 for an uncontested divorce, a party who decides to represent himself may find that the fee would have been well worth it once he goes through the process of doing the requisite research, completing the requisite forms, filing them, and addressing any problems raised by the court.

The general rule regarding legal representation in your divorce case is simply this: the earlier in the divorce process that you consult legal counsel, the more effective your legal counsel can be. While you might not be sure as to whether you wish to file for divorce or take other steps to address the conflict in your relationship, an experienced family law attorney can be a considerable resource. While most experienced family law attorneys maintain a low fee for initial consultations, they are also willing to discuss your options with you so that you may make an informed decision. Further, many maintain a list of competent marriage counselors and other community resources to assist you. They can also help you consider whether certain actions will affect you positively or negatively in a future divorce case.

If you simply do not have the financial ability to hire a qualified family law attorney, there are a few other options available to you. Quite often, the local Legal Aid Society will provide representation to indigent clients in divorce cases. You should also contact the local bar association and local law schools to see whether they offer a divorce clinic where indigent parties can obtain free representation in their divorce cases. If all else fails, and you do have to complete your paperwork yourself, you can often hire local counsel for a nominal fee to simply review your paperwork and advise you regarding any glaring errors he or she may find before you submit it to the court for filing.

2. Consider using alternative dispute resolution.

Sometimes even the roughest conflicts can be resolved amicably through mediation or collaborative law. The only true way to limit the expense of your divorce is to try and resolve your issues amicably with your spouse. This can involve one on one mediation or a settlement conference with your attorneys present. However, you should always inquire with your attorney regarding options for settlement or streamlining the process through any available alternative dispute resolution programs.

3. Do your research before retaining counsel.

In interviewing attorneys, make sure you know as much as possible about their experience and focus of their practices before making a final determination. Family law attorneys can have varying degrees of experience as well as a broad range of strengths, skills, relevant education and training, and, of course, weaknesses. In choosing an attorney to represent your interests, you should seek out an experienced and concerned attorney who will represent your interests and promote your goals zealously while also making sure that your decisions are being made based on reason rather than emotion. Most importantly, you should seek out an attorney with whom you are comfortable and who you feel you can trust.

The determination of whether one is comfortable with an attorney and feels that he or she can trust the attorney is obviously a personal, and subjective, one. However, the determination of whether an attorney possesses the optimal amount of experience and knowledge in family law can be easily researched and ascertained through a couple of questions in the initial intervie.

Find out, for example, if your state offers a "family law specialist" designation and, if so, whether the attorney you are consulting with is a family law specialist. Quite often, a state family law specialty designation carries heightened requirements concerning the percentage of the attorney's practice devoted to family law cases, continuing legal education dedicated to family law issues, references from local family law attorneys and court staff, and often even submission to a family law specialty exam or other advanced screening process.

Not specializing in Family Law Practice does not mean an attorney is not competent to handle a Family Law case. However, where the attorney is not a specialist, or if you live in a state which does not offer a family law specialist designation, you should still inquire regarding the percentage of the attorney's practice which is devoted to family law cases. Often, a greater focus on family law cases will entail an office with staff who are more experienced with the family law process and in handling issues which may arise from day to day as well as a more streamlined approach to handling domestic cases which, in turn, may result in more efficient and expedient representation.

To be continued

Searching for Your Own Divorce Records

by Ross Quadee

Do you need to search for your own divorce records? There are many different situations where a person who has been divorced before might need their own divorce records. Whether your divorce was recent or many years ago, you have the right to access your own records. The problem that many people have discovered is that it can sometimes be difficult to get the records, even though they are your personal information.

Divorce is a very personal thing; something that many people just don't want to talk about. But when it comes right down to it, divorce records are a public matter. Except for the rare cases when the divorce record is sealed by the courts for some reason, divorce records are public information and can be obtained by anyone who takes the time to seek them.

This means getting your own records can be easy. You don't have to go to the courthouse or county records division and provide identification and pay a fee for a paper copy of a record that should belong to you anyway. Instead, you can look for it the same way that anyone else is able to by searching online for your own divorce records.

There are many different ways that you can search for divorce records online. The database may hold millions of records and to find the one you want, you will need to filter the results to meet your needs. You can do this by state, dates and individual. For example, you can search for all divorce records of a particular name or you can search all Texas divorce records from 1986-1989. There are many combinations of searches and how you can perform them to filter your results.

A quality online database of personal records will help you find what you need quickly and easily. You can use this for your own personal records, as part of a background check or proof to a potential partner that you're telling the truth about your past.

Some other reasons why you might need your personal divorce records is for a name change, credit issues, to change details on wills, insurance and other important documents and more. When you're married, there are many things which you and your spouse may do together and this includes the different contracts you may enter in together.

When you get divorced, this doesn't all just go away on its own. You may be required to obtain copies of your divorce records to prove that the divorce has taken place and to help clear up legal matters that could pertain to these contracts and other agreements. It's important that you get your records and prove that you have been divorced so you can clear any of these issues up.

No one plans to get divorced but when it happens, it can often be more frustrating and more headache involved than the marriage. When you know how to search for your own divorce records online and get copies of them, you can clear your name, your legal issues and anything else related to your divorce. It's quick, it's accurate and it's legal. Why not start searching for yours today?

About the Author
Ross Quadee, the author of many articles regarding Various topics is working on divorce records and you can find free divorce records here. It's fast and easy.