Step 4: DIY or hire a lawyer?
DIY divorce
If you decide to represent yourself in court or want to go about the process of getting a divorce without a lawyer, this is known as a DIY divorce. Typically, you can go in for a DIY divorce in the case of an uncontested one because things are much easier if your case is simple and your spouse and you are willing to negotiate and have a settlement agreement.
If you want to go in for a DIY divorce, you can get all the information about the divorce laws and the forms you require for filing on the judiciary website of West Virginia. Nevertheless, you must still check what forms are needed by the court and also fill them out correctly.
Online Divorce Service
If you find it difficult to file the forms on your own, you can opt for the services of an online divorce company. The laws of West Virginia require that the plaintiff should file the divorce documents with the county court and both the spouses need to attend the final hearing that will be held at the courthouse, you cannot complete the entire divorce online.
However, in the case of an uncontested divorce, you can do the main work of preparing your forms online correctly and quickly by using an online divorce service, who will do the job for you at a nominal fee. This essentially means that you do not have to know and understand the rules and laws of the state and the specific county to select and fill the right forms.
All you need to do is provide basic information about your case and the online service will customize your forms as per your situation as per the requirements of the law.
Hire an Attorney
If your divorce is a contested one, where there is no agreement on the key issues between your spouse and you, then your case will be heard by a judge in court, where he/she will resolve the various issues.
In the case of a divorce trial, your spouse and you must employ the services of a divorce lawyer, who will present your case in the court along with witness testimonies, etc. Usually, a divorce trial is very expensive and also takes very long.