The Risks of Representing Yourself in Marital Disagreements

To learn more about the consequences and risks of representing yourself in important marital issues, continue reading and reach out to our skilled Bergen County family law attorney today.

What are the risks of representing yourself during custody disagreements?

There are a number of different things that can go wrong if you attempt to resolve custody negotiations on your own. These mistakes include the following:

• Failing to identify the meaning of sole legal custody: In the event that your spouse’s attorney offers shared physical custody and sole legal custody for their client, you should note that by agreeing to this, you will not have a say in determinations related to your child’s medical care, schooling, religious upbringing, and more.
• You may be opening yourself up to false accusations: If your spouse lies to the court about your character, you may not be prepared to protect yourself against these false accusations. That is why you will need a skilled attorney on your side to help build a strong defense to expose the falsities.
• You may not be in the right mindset: Representing yourself during a custody battle can be difficult to not let your emotions get in the way. This may be the most complex and personal legal matter you will ever have to face in your life. You will not want to allow your emotions to hurt your case. An attorney will advocate for you and be your voice when matters get tough.

What are the risks of representing yourself during asset division?

There are several matters in a divorce that cannot be done without careful research and numerical analysis. The following steps in your divorce must be completed without errors:

• Determining tax ramifications
• Running child support and alimony formulas
• Dividing complex assets such as stock portfolios and retirement plans

You will also want to consider the fact that if your spouse has hired an attorney while you are representing yourself, their attorney’s training and knowledge in asset division and divorce finances can provide them with an advantage. If an attorney presents you with an offer and you do not know how to properly assess its details, you may risk your future and set yourself up for years of financial distress. You may experience this through unfair support payments or missed asset opportunities.