Web and ‘do-it-yourself’ divorces can be very risky

Many people who go through a divorce or believe that a divorce may be on the horizon probably wish that there was some secret way to go through the divorce as simply and quickly as possible. They wish for a magic button, a way for the divorce to just happen and for all of the issues involved to be resolved without much stress or work.

To be fair, there are ways to get through your divorce quickly. There are online divorce programs and even divorce apps that offer a swift end to the divorce saga. People even have the option to take on the divorce by themselves — without legal counsel — and there are probably some success stories out there. But taking these routes — by choosing to do it yourself — you risk doing serious harm to your divorce case.

As one person in the source article so aptly puts it, using these methods to deal with your divorce is like “going to WebMD and deciding to treat yourself.”

You don’t know the intricate laws, rules and regulations that apply to marriage and divorce. There are complex financial matters involved in divorce, and you could be depriving yourself of crucial funds or assets by doing your divorce by yourself.

For example, one woman in the source article filled out a DIY divorce, only to have it returned to her because of some botched paperwork. So she took it to a divorce attorney — who informed her that if she waited to file for six months, she would be entitled to part of her husband’s pension.

The point is clear: though the DIY divorce option is out there, it really does pay to have the experience and skill of a divorce attorney on your side to complete your divorce.

Source: New York Times, “California Pioneers the Court-Aided One-Day Divorce,” Ann Carrns, June 6, 2014