Are you thinking about representing yourself in your Colorado divorce? Who better, right? You know your demands. You know what you have and what you want. An attorney would just be a time-and-money sink. If those thoughts ever occurred to you, you should know that it really is not that simple. Representing yourself in divorce ”“ especially when your spouse has hired an attorney ”“ can end very badly for you. Here are a few simple reasons why:
- Your spouse’s attorney knows much more about divorce law than you do, no matter how much Internet research you do or how many of our blogs you read. Despite this fact, you will be held to the same standard as an attorney ”“ no exceptions. This means that you are responsible for all of the confusing deadlines and standards of practice to follow, and there’s no easy guide to follow for those.
- Every court is different. Courtroom procedure in one county may be totally different from that of another county. Even if you are somewhat well-versed in the particulars of a divorce hearing, you may find yourself in hot water if you are not familiar with the court handling your case.
- It is very easy to miss something if you are trying to write your own divorce settlement agreement. Divorce settlements must be very particular by nature, and any errors or ambiguities can lead to more strife between you and your spouse, not to mention a prolonging of the procedures that can lead to future costs in time and money.
The bottom line is that, unless you are a divorce attorney yourself (and even then, a second opinion never hurts), you should go into a divorce with a trained ally on your side.