Divorce is a difficult experience for any family. There is no denying that. Even if you and your spouse both want to end the marriage, it still could be a tricky road to navigate. However, this already challenging process can become even more complicated with the involvement of court and lawyers.

Conventional wisdom says you should try your best to avoid relying on the court to solve your issues. The less you depend on the court, the less need to seek the assistance of a lawyer. The lawyer’s exuberant fees are one of the primary reasons why the divorce process is so costly. Thus, it’s better to avoid the whole ordeal. 

Is it legal to proceed with the divorce without a lawyer?

In the U.S., it is perfectly legal for you to pursue your divorce without a lawyer. In fact, it is a common practice. The majority of divorces in the U.S. are settled outside court. In legal terminology, it is called “pro se divorce” or “pro se legal representation,” which means that each party self-represents their interests before the court. The process is known as DIY or Do-It-Yourself divorce.

Misconceptions about DIY

People tend to have misgivings about the process of DIY. They presume that this process can only be adopted if the marriage was short and does not involve kids or issues regarding the distribution of marital property.

However, that is not true. Irrespective of whether you have kids or marital assets to divide, you still have the right to file for divorce without a lawyer.

Challenges with DIY 

There are a few challenges with DIY divorce:

• You may find it overwhelming to handle everything by yourself. It could be daunting and therefore discouraging. 

• If your separation is not entirely mutual or either of you harbor ill-will towards the other, negotiations could be immensely tricky without a lawyer.
• You will have to invest a lot of time and effort to tackle the paperwork. You will have to make yourself knowledgeable about the intricacies of family law and local divorce regulations.

Good news: You have options

If you are willing to take on the challenges mentioned above, then there are options for you, such as online, e-filing, and divorce mediation. Using them, you can easily pursue a lawyer-free divorce that is affordable and hassle-free. You will be able to smartly avoid the red tape and save your precious time and money.

But the question remains when and how can you proceed with the separation without a lawyer? The following steps will inform you how you can minimize complications and legal hassles, ensuring an affordable divorce.

1. Settling issues with your spouse

If you can work your way through all the significant issues with your spouse, then there is a high probability that you can make do without a lawyer. It is easier said than done, but given the amount of legal trouble and expenses you would avoid, it is worth your best effort.

To avoid consulting a lawyer, you and your spouse must agree on the following:

• Custody of minor children, if any;
• Child support;
• Alimony for the separated spouse;
• Distribution of property.

You can greatly benefit by cooperating with your spouse and reaching a middle ground on all the aforementioned issues. The following are some of the major advantages of navigating divorce with a mutual agreement:

• Not leaving decisions up to the court will give you better control over the outcome of the issues you are trying to settle. 
• It will save you a considerable amount of time and money throughout the entire process.
• If there are children, it will help immensely with their acceptance and transition into a new life. The presence of lawyers can make the situation more bitter and traumatic for them.

Therefore, you and your spouse must try and agree on all the significant issues so that you can file for an uncontested divorce and receive the benefits mentioned above.

2. Filing for an uncontested divorce

Having resolved all major conflicts and arriving on the same page about the settlement, you can ask the court to grant you a divorce order in writing. This process is known as an uncontested divorce.

Depending upon the state in which you currently reside, the process of an uncontested divorce may not even require you to make an appearance in court. The court will finalize your divorce if you can provide proof that the divorce is uncontested. But if there are minor children involved, then the majority of the states do mandate brief court hearings.

3. For assistance, contact online divorce agencies

Although you don’t necessarily need a lawyer to pursue an uncontested divorce, legal documents often can be quite confusing to figure out on your own. This is where you can seek help from online divorce company utahonlinedivorce.com. They offer affordable divorce document preparation services for uncontested divorces.

The platform will provide you with professional assistance with your uncontested divorce. It will take on all the divorce forms preparation for you, making sure that your rights and interests are looked after. 

The site follows the laws of your state and regulations of your local county to ensure acceptance by the court. And all documents are customized according to the exact details of your case. So once the court approves of your settlement agreement, you will be granted a divorce without any hassles.

Advantages of Online divorce

Online divorce is perfect for uncontested divorces with a mutual agreement in place. You can avoid lawyers and a majority of bureaucratic formalities. See more of the benefits of online divorce below:

• It’s fast. You can get all the completed paperwork within as little as two business days through your email, or they can be mailed to you. 

• It’s accurate. You get your divorce documents prepared through the online divorce company’s professional assistance, so you don’t have to worry about mistakes or starting over.
• It’s easy. All you have to do is answer a brief questionnaire. According to your responses, the system will generate divorce documents that align with the local regulations of your state and county and the details of your case.
• It’s convenient. You can do it all at your own pace from the comfort of your home. There are no extra trips to the court, appointments with attorneys, or taking time off work. 
• Ready to file. The documents only need to be signed and submitted. And most sites will even provide you with easy-to-follow filing instructions. 

Electronic or E-filing for Divorce

All states require that you file a petition to initiate your divorce, but many states and counties now offer the opportunity to e-file (file online without visiting the court). Depending on your online divorce provider, they may provide the option to e-file for you. 

If you did the paperwork yourself, you could still take advantage of e-filing by scanning your signed documents and e-filing on your own. 

After e-filing, the system will confirm that it has received your petition. Moreover, you will obtain a copy of the petition with a court stamp by email. You will need this copy to notify your spouse of the case.  

Divorce Mediation

This process involves a neutral third party (known as a mediator) that will help you and your spouse formulate your divorce settlement agreement. It is a kind of alternative for the resolution of disputes among you and your spouse. Contrary to litigation, you will be part of a non-competitive process that will focus on resolving issues instead of settling scores.

Mediation intends to encourage parties to make joint decisions based on mutual collaboration and cooperation. The mediator will not be biased towards either party and helps you and your spouse work out the best possible outcome for both parties.

Conclusion

From online divorce and e-filing to divorce mediation, you have plenty of options at your disposal to make the divorce process lawyer free and less complicated. Whether you pick one of these or try a combination, it will still be more affordable and less time-consuming and stressful than a conventional divorce. Thus, you must give some deep thought and decide what you want to do.