When people commit to marriage, they’re usually not thinking about divorce. The vast majority of people getting married are truly in love and want to live a happy life together. However, things often go wrong, and one or both parties end up seeking out a divorce. This can be a very messy and damaging affair. Some people never recover from a divorce. Thousands of people lose most of their assets, their children, and end up living miserable lives because of what that divorce did to them. Though there’s a reason this happens: One spouse had a good divorce lawyer, and the other did not.
Divorce law is a very fickle beast, and you need someone able to navigate these waters properly. Even if you’re not vindictive and don’t want to take money or full custody from your spouse, that in no way means that your spouse doesn’t want to take those things from you. So if you show up unprepared for such a situation, you could end up losing big. But before hiring a lawyer, many want to know: Is all the law the same when it comes to divorce?
Yes, and No
When it comes to the laws that deal with divorce as a specific topic, the law is applied evenly to any marriage recognized by the nation. So, whether it’s a traditional marriage, a same-sex marriage, or any other licensed union, the laws will apply the same no matter what. So, that’s the yes part here. The “no” comes in by way of how the law is handled, not how it’s applied. In other words, the laws of divorce can act as an obstacle course, and you need someone in your corner to help you run that course. Not knowing the laws associated with becoming legally divorced could end up leaving you very burdened financially.
The Difference Isn’t in the Law
To put it simply, the only legitimate difference in divorce law is a divorce lawyer. For instance, if you have a spouse hiding money and has more assets yet is unwilling to provide, the right lawyer has an investigative team at their disposal that can track this money down. If your spouse is a bad parent yet charming enough in public to convince a judge otherwise, the right lawyer can really expose this in court and ensure that you get custody of any children. It really all boils down to how good the lawyer is in your corner. Without a good lawyer, you’re at the mercy of your spouse’s lawyer. And there’s no guarantee that your spouse will not act very vindictively by taking you to the proverbial cleaners.
A Good Lawyer Understands
The biggest benefit you get from hiring the right attorney is in having a lawyer who truly understands the law’s ins and outs. For instance, there is a big difference between getting legally separated and outright divorced. There will also be a different sort of divorce hearing depending on if there are children involved or if one or both parties demand full custody. How about just getting legally divorced vs. an annulment? There is a whole lot to consider here. Very rarely, if ever, does a divorcing couple sit down calmly and go over what’s going to happen. Nine times out of ten, one spouse really surprises the other by “going for blood,” so to speak, once they get into court. This often takes the other spouse by surprise; they didn’t prepare for this, and they end up losing a lot in the divorce hearing.
Having a good lawyer in your corner is the only way to prevent these sorts of things from happening. Even if you’re not interested in using a divorce lawyer to go on the offensive, you’re still going to need a good one standing beside you to provide defence because you can never be sure that your spouse isn’t trying to go on the offensive. The bottom line here is that the right lawyer makes all the difference.