Why Should I Hire a Divorce Attorney in Phoenix?
It’s just paperwork, right? You can fill out your forms, go down the courthouse, pay your fee, and file your petition, right?
Well…not quite.
Even the simplest petitions can quickly become complicated. You say you were only married a year, and you have no children, so it should be easy. Did you buy a house together after you got married? Did the value of the house go down significantly after you bought it? Who’s going to absorb that loss? What if you can’t sell that house? What do you do then?
Top Ten Reasons you need an Arizona Divorce Attorney:
1) Your spouse has an attorney
Your spouse has hired a professional, who does this every day. This is probably your first time. Would you operate as a surgeon on yourself? Just like surgery, if there’s a mistake in your divorce, you could pay for it for the rest of your life.
2) Your spouse has made false abuse allegations
Allegations of abuse will probably be investigated. It’s a modern fact of life that a lot of spouses make up allegations of substance or physical abuse to gain advantage in child custody (legal decision making) cases. Unfortunately, once the allegation has been made, even if it’s proven false or unsubstantiated the taint may remain. You need aggressive, experienced representation to advocate for you to get out from underneath these types of attacks.
3) Children are involved
You have your children’s best interests at heart. Unfortunately, some individuals see children as pawns in a game to retain some type of control over their spouse or significant other; either financially or emotionally. An experienced family attorney will look out for your children’s best interests, and make sure that the Court’s orders for child custody and child support are enforced.
4) You’ve been married for a long time, and sacrificed your career for your spouse
You’ve kept the home fires burning, raised the children, and made sure that things at home are taken care of for twenty years while your spouse has climbed the corporate ladder. Now you’re left out in the cold with nothing to fall back on, no retirement, no career. You’re starting back at square one. If there are large discrepancies in career choices and income, you need an experienced divorce attorney to balance the playing field until you get back on your feet. Alimony (spousal support) is not a given anymore in a no-fault divorce, which is what we have in Arizona.
5) A business is involved
You’ve sweated it out for years. Long days, building your business up from scratch. Now someone wants to tear it all down, and take everything. Would you a rookie running your business? Of course not. Don’t pick someone who’s inexperienced to run your divorce case.
6) Forms, paperwork, petitions, and timelines
It’s a little more complicated that going down to the courthouse and paying a fee. There are responses, dates, asset worksheets and parenting classes. If you miss a deadline, and a default judgment is issued, then you’re back to square one at best. You need a divorce attorney to navigate you around the rocks and shoals of a divorce.
7) Delays, threats, intimidation
Some spouses will throw everything they can at you, from the beginning to try and intimidate you into a bad settlement. Do you know if you’re getting a raw deal? Who’s going to fight back against intimidating behavior? Threats to take the children away, to take your property, to cut you off, throw you out on the street. Fight back with an experienced attorney.
8) Avoid problems down the road
You forgot to mention something when you filled out your petition, responses, and worksheets. Now it’s a year later, and that property, visitation schedule, or piece of your retirement is gone, never to return. Getting a divorce attorney now, will avoid frustration later.
9) Stress, stress, stress
Having divorce paperwork pile up on your desk while you have to work, take care of your kids, and make sure your life doesn’t go down the tubes is no fun, and even in an amicable divorce, the stress levels are sky-high. When things get tense, it’s no fun when you try and go it alone. Get an attorney to take the load off.
10) The law. It’s complicated.
Take a look at the Arizona Revised Statutes that govern divorce:
Enough said.
Get an experienced Phoenix Family Law Attorney. Call Enholm Law at (602) 889-6273.
