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Hiring a Lawyer
I made so many mistakes when I hired an attorney. When I filed for divorce in the Fall of 2008, it was unchartered territory. It took me two years to move out in 2010. My surprise came when I saw how quickly the legal fees added up every time my lawyer called, emailed, mailed documents, court time, and filing documents. I feel the custody agreement was a waste of time since it only lasted for a year. After two years of separation, I was tired of the waiting period to sell a house that was never going to sell. In August of 2012, I took matters into my own hands and decided to file the rest of the paperwork. I spent hours in the law library scouring a family law book to get the documents filed properly.
Lawyer Fees and Filing Paperwork
My lawyer’s fees were creeping up and I needed to speed up the process. After I typed the forms, made copies, and filed the forms with the prothonotary, it was finally finished. Shortly, after filing all of the paperwork I learned one form was missing. Luckily, the paralegal was able to file the last document. I was elated there were no delays in finalizing my divorce. The judge signed off on the divorce decree in December 2012 and I received the decree In January 2013. I know the entire process would have lingered on for years. This was one of the best decisions I made in the entire process. From my experience, I think it is important to discuss with a prospective lawyer the timeline and an estimate on hours.
Finale
My attorney worked hard to reach an amicable settlement but to no avail. I had to advocate for myself to minimize the legal costs. It worked in my favor because I stopped additional costs. The downside is now I am stuck with a hefty legal bill. and foreclosure on my credit report. If I can offer any advice it would be to hire a lawyer and make the process as quick and amicable as possible.
