Some clients complain that professionals, such as lawyers, make divorce unnecessarily complicated. The client is really saying there are so many facets to this divorce that I feel overwhelmed. I want to keep this simple.
The truth is, as many of these blog articles show, divorce is complicated. There is no escaping this. Avoiding professional help does not avoid the complexities; it just defers them. The complexities will catch up with you.
As many of these blog articles also show, the client can educate him/herself regarding the issues. However, dodging the issues just means more headaches and problems later, which will probably cost more to repair (when that is possible) than if the issues had been dealt with during the divorce. Restoring the trust between the spouses when things go wrong is also a very difficult repair that can be avoided if the divorce is done right.
What professional help can do is help manage the complexities. However, a lawyer or a mental health professional or a financial professional cannot make decisions for you and your family. They can make recommendations. This necessarily involves first educating you on the issues of your case, giving you options for dealing with the problems and then recommendations. The client becomes an educated consumer.
With this education and having a professional to serve as a sounding board, the client and the spouse can develop a strong, lasting plan for their family after the divorce which should help them and their children transition well into their new lives.
