Do I Really Need a Lawyer to Get a Divorce?

The real question is: do you want to regret not getting a lawyer?  The Texas Supreme Court released standardized forms to help pro se litigants (that's you without a lawyer) file a divorce without retaining a lawyer.  The good news is that if you are married for a short period of time and have not accumulated many assets, then the forms will work for you.  However, there are many things to think about: 1) Are you splitting retirement accounts, if so, you will need a QDRO, which is not provided in the standardized forms; 2) Are you transferring real property or personal property to another spouse, if so, you will need additional legal documents; 3) Is one spouse taking on the full indebtedness of a loan on real property (your homestead), if so, you will need additional language in your decree to insure your name is removed from the loan and additional legal documents to insure you can retrieve the property back if the spouse fails to make payments to the creditor; 4) Do you really believe your spouse is telling you the truth when he/she says the settlement is fair. There are many other variables to think about that cannot be discussed in a blog.  At the very least, pay a lawyer for a real consultation, remember, you get what you pay for!  We will meet with you to discuss your situation and if we believe you can obtain a divorce with the standardized forms, we will assist you in filling out those forms for a fee.  Visit the following website for more information on the Texas Supreme Court Divorce Forms: http://texaslawhelp.org/resource/divorce-in-texas.