Get Legal Help with Divorce

Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed November 19, 2018

For most people, going through a divorce is one of the most stressful events imaginable. Even in the best divorce scenarios, difficult family and economic issues need to be resolved reasonably and objectively. Even though divorces and related custody and support disputes have the potential to be among the most stressful and emotional of all legal matters, having an experienced divorce attorney on your side can make the process easier, and can help to ensure that your interests are protected to the fullest extent possible.

The following article discusses how to get legal help with divorce and what a lawyer can do for you.

Common Issues That Arise During a Divorce

Every case is different, but most divorces require the resolution of some or all of the following issues: property division, spousal support, child custody, and child support. These issues often are accompanied by even more specific issues -- each of which have the potential to become a conflict that can further complicate and/or prolong the divorce process.

Some of these potential complications include:

How will property and assets be split up between the divorcing spouses?
What if only one spouse is working? Will that affect the distribution of property?
Should one spouse be awarded spousal support (or alimony)?
If awarded, what factors go in to determining how much spousal support must be paid?
Who gets custody of the kids?
Which parent will the kids live with?
Who stays in the family home, and who must move out?
What happens if the kids only want to live with one parent?
How much child support is appropriate?

Why You Should Get Legal Help With Divorce

As you can see from the list above, there are a number of legal questions that must be resolved in a divorce -- which can make the process extremely contentious and adversarial. If you are thinking about filing for divorce, or if your spouse has initiated divorce proceedings, now is the time to make sure you will have an experienced divorce attorney on your side throughout the divorce process.

Possibly more so than in any other type of civil law case, what can be at stake in a divorce may seriously impact you and your family -- legally, emotionally, socially, and economically -- now and for many years in the future. So when you hire an attorney, make sure they're the right fit.

An experienced divorce attorney will evaluate your divorce case with you -- explaining what you can expect and identifying your options. At every stage in the divorce process, your attorney will represent you zealously, and will act to protect both your legal rights and your personal interests, all with the goal of ensuring that the outcome of your divorce is as favorable for you as possible.