Divorce is not a happy occasion for anyone. In fact, it is the most dreaded word in a married couple’s vocabulary. It signifies the destruction and end of the relationship with full finality. There is no going back for divorced couples because when a marriage usually comes to the point of its final split, all measures to bring it back on the rails have usually been exhausted by the partners.
Divorce is not just a simple procedure where you say “I quit” and walk off into the sunset. It is much more complex than that. When two people bind themselves in a marital arrangement, they agree to stay together under one roof and share the same bed. Their lives merge in more ways than one. Their finances become one as they both bring their assets to the relationship, buy more property or goods, take a mortgage to acquire a house and spend money on each other’s credit cards.
The partners soon have children. This places a tremendous responsibility on their shoulders. All in all, there is a lot of commitment and emotional as well as financial investment by both the spouses in the relationship. A marriage, after all, is all about building a nest from scratch.
Divorce can occur due to various reasons. The partners may realise some years down the line that they are fundamentally incompatible due to personality differences. There may be an element of abuse involved, emotional or physical or both. A partner may be a control freak, trying to dominate the spouse and family resources all the time. There may be an extramarital relationship or a partner may just abandon the family and refuse to take care of his or her obligations.
Whatever the reason, divorce is a painful process. This is because, apart from the emotional cost it inflicts, it also involves untangling the partners’ finances and assets from each other. Each and every asset – property, vehicles, jewellery, consumer electronics, insurance, bank deposits – bought from within the relationship are subject to scrutiny and claim by both the partners. On top of this are child custody disputes, which are perhaps the most stressful part of the divorce proceedings. Alimony to the mother is another area where a decision has to be taken during divorce time.
Divorces can be of two types – disputed and undisputed. If the partners amicably sort out all issues such as division of property and assets, child custody and alimony, then there is no need to go to a solicitor at all. They can get their divorce very cheaply and quickly through a variety of DIY divorce services available online.
However, if the partners are unable to settle their disputes on their own and neither wants to compromise on the issues, then there is no option but to take the services of a high-street solicitor and get a judgement from the court. This may cost a lot of money and time but it is worth it if high-value assets are involved or the partners feel passionately about child custody.
DIY Divorces
There are many online companies that operate through the Internet which can help you get an uncontested divorce right from the comfort of your home. These services are quite cheap and easily affordable. For example, Quickie Divorce,
What you have to do is download the legal forms from the website, fill them up and return them to the company. The latter then forwards them to the relevant court for necessary action. Once the divorce papers are ready, it couriers them at your address. This enables you to finalise the divorce without stirring out of your house even once. Nothing can be simpler than an online divorce!
High-street Solicitors
DIY divorces have a drawback though – they can be helpful only in cases where the partners do not want to contest and they amicably settle all issues on their own. But what if there is a dispute and the partners refuse to see eye-to-eye in any matter? That is where the age-old institution of high-street solicitors comes in. You have to first look for a good lawyer through recommendations, yellow pages and Internet search.
Once you have zeroed in on a solicitor who you think fits the bill, you have to have a face-to-face talk with him or her and discuss all the details of the case. After the charges are filed, the solicitor will represent your legal interests in the court and try to get a judgement in your favour.
The drawback of high-street solicitors is that they are often very expensive since they bill you by the hour. However, if your hard-earned property and child custody are at stake and the other partner is threatening to take away everything from you that you hold dear, solicitors are well worth the money. Their personal involvement and vast experience ensure that they will exploit every loophole in the law and outthink the opponent on every issue so that you can get the best verdict that is legally possible.
