Sometimes when clients come to us to get divorced, both the client and their spouse have already determined how they want their assets and debts divided and what kind of custody arrangement they would like to use. These are sometimes referred to as “quickie divorces” because they do not take the time a typical divorce would take for negotiating between attorneys or even court appearances.

Quickie Divorce Lawyers

In a quickie divorce, it is still beneficial to have an attorney representing you. An attorney is able to inform you of how your arrangement may impact you in the future, in ways that are not even on your radar. As professionals in this area of law, we are able to bring to you experience with a wide variety of arrangements that work for divorcing parties, and we have the experience to share of what long-term effects certain arrangements may have on you. Using an attorney to draft and/or review your documents will give you the added assurance that things are being done properly to protect your interests. Also, it is not too costly when you take out the difficult portion of reaching agreements on all of the issues in your divorce.

Another benefit of using an attorney in a quickie divorce is that oftentimes, when people think they have an agreement on all issues, they may be missing some parts to the agreement that a court requires, and the paperwork may get stuck in the process. If this happens, it can really slow down the divorce and force you to stay married for longer than is necessary. You may have to make court appearances even though you have an agreement on everything that you thought you needed, which costs you time and forces you to miss work. An attorney will help you make sure that every issue is covered. If a problem crops up in the process of filing, as is sometimes the case, an attorney is well equipped to take care of it in a timely manner.

A Common Misconception

One common misconception about a quickie divorce is that an attorney may be hired to represent both parties in the process. Since the legal system is adversarial in nature, when a potential client chooses to hire an attorney to draft the paperwork, the attorney represents the party that retains them. That means that an attorney will be able to draft paperwork that both parties agree on, but the attorney should not be giving both parties legal advice about their individual positions. That is why it may be beneficial for both parties to hire an attorney in the limited scope of reviewing the paperwork, so that both parties may be confident in signing any paperwork. It is acceptable and common for one party to not be represented, however. That party would just have to sign a document stating that they knew they had a right to have an attorney, chose to not exercise that right, and agree to the terms of the divorce decree.