Step 4: DIY or hire a lawyer?
DIY divorce (Slow & Least Costly)
You can file for divorce without the assistance of an attorney if your spouse and you have lived separately for a period of 1 year continuously.
You can use the divorce packet of forms that are approved by the court and is available online, free of cost. Alternatively, by paying a nominal fee, you can buy the forms from your local courthouse.
Online Divorce Service (Fast & Inexpensive)
If you do not want to hire a lawyer, but don’t really know about how to fill out the right forms for your divorce, then you can take the help of an online divorce service. Our favorite and most trusted service in the space right now is 3stepdivorce.com and you can get started as low as $84 over 4 months or less, or just pay a flat $299 fee.
The online service asks you questions regarding your case, which you must answer correctly. Once you complete this, your forms will be created, which you can print out and submit to your local court along with the prescribed fee. The online service will charge you a fee for the services they provide.
Hire an Attorney (Longer & Expensive)
If both spouses do not have an agreement on all the issues of the divorce, then the case will go to trial, where it will be heard in the court by a judge. The judge will then hear both sides of the case, the witness testimonies, review all the evidence and ask questions about the case and then take decisions on the various disputed issues. Usually, divorce trials take a long time.
Going this route is definitely the route to avoid if at all possible but if both spouses can’t come to an agreement, we highly recommend that you contact an attorney.