As spouses who cannot or do not want to stay together are considering filing for divorce, they are most likely seeking ways to avoid any fuss and additional expenditures. These considerations include deciding on how to get divorced – by themselves or through the services of a lawyer.
While it might seem obvious that hiring a lawyer is a good choice, lots of partners often go with a DIY divorce, and there are several reasons behind this trend. This article will explore two options for couples seeking divorce – online divorce services and divorce lawyers.
What is the Online Divorce Service?
First of all, it is required to understand what hides behind this term, as it may be a little misleading to some. Such tools, just like any other e-commerce project, have the purpose of providing services while saving customers money and making life easier. However, it does not mean that it is possible to go through the entire divorce process only by navigating a website.
An online divorce service is an instrument that provides the ability to automatically fill out all the required divorce forms in an inexpensive way. All it takes is a simple questionnaire regarding the case specifics, and the divorce papers are usually ready in 2 business days. The paperwork still has to be delivered to the court, and the spouses will have to go through the procedures for getting a divorce required by the law.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Affordability
When it comes to prices, online divorce services clearly win in comparison to hiring a lawyer. Although the costs may vary from company to company and depending on the individual case specifics, the price usually starts at $139. A lawyer is going to cost much more, as their services are usually based on hourly payments.
Time
The divorce process is highly likely to begin faster by using an online service to prepare the paperwork. If the case is appropriate for an online option, it doesn’t take more than 2-3 business days to get the papers done. Since attorneys have multiple clients, there is often a significant wait time. And if couples need to revisit the lawyer, the process can get pretty lengthy.
Control
This is more of a psychological benefit. Being in a complicated situation such as divorce has its toll. A person doing the documents by themselves has a feeling of control over the process. That is why DIY divorce paper preparation is a reassuring alternative to using a lawyer’s services from a psychological perspective.
Cons
Not a Universal Solution
Online services are not suitable for contested divorces. If the spouses have disputes over important things such as child custody or property division, having a lawyer represent one’s interest is the way to go. So, this is the main limitation of online divorce services.
Possibility of a Mistake
As mentioned before, control is a great feeling. However, it is important to understand that the petitioner is responsible for the correctness of the information on the forms. If the information entered is not correct, the online service is not responsible for generating unusable divorce forms.
Finding a Legitimate Service
As with everything on the Internet, there are scam artists who prey on people’s money. That is why spouses who want to complete divorce online should be careful and do some research. Furthermore, it is imperative to make sure that you find a reliable service that covers state-specific laws. This way, it is possible to avoid unnecessary stress and additional expenditures.
Bottom Line
Considering both the pros and cons of online services, it is possible to boldly state that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. If spouses want to do everything themselves, they need to do some research and come to terms with each other to save lots of time and money. However, this works only for an uncontested divorce. Moreover, while partners are in full control over the process, the risk of making a mistake does not disappear.
Hiring a lawyer is a viable option when partners have significant issues and cannot reach a consensus regarding the terms of the process. So, online services are not suitable for couples who are going through a contested divorce. That’s why hiring a lawyer is beneficial as partners will have their interests represented properly, but it will cost a lot more.
All in all, everything boils down to the individual case. If a couple is aiming for a conflict-free divorce, online services can be the best option. If the situation is the opposite, hiring a lawyer might be the best solution for both sides.
