6 Reasons to Hire a Divorce Attorney

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If you are preparing to file for divorce, you may be considering whether or not you need to hire an attorney. Retaining a Maryland divorce attorney can not only make the process easier, it can also expedite it. If you are on the fence about whether or not to hire an attorney for your divorce, here are several reasons why you should.

1. Benefit From Their Experience
Divorce attorneys deal with family law matters for a living, which means they have significantly more experience than you do. You benefit from this when you retain an attorney because he or she is already well-versed in the filing procedures, how the courts work, and may even know your spouse’s counsel. This can expedite the whole process because there will not be the delays that are likely to happen when you handle everything on your own.

2. Reduce Your Emotional Stress
Even a divorce that is not bitter can take a toll on your emotional and physical well-being. Divorce attorneys are not licensed therapists, but they can help you through the emotional aspects of this process. They will take your emotions into account and listen to your wants and needs. They can also help further reduce your stress because they will handle communication with your spouse’s attorney, so you do not have to get into an emotionally-charged argument.

3. Protect Your Rights
An attorney’s job is to protect his or her client’s rights, and a divorce attorney is no exception. Your divorce attorney will ensure your rights are protected throughout the process. This includes your legal rights during the asset distribution phase, as well as child custody, child support, and/or spousal support.

4. Handle all the Paperwork
Your attorney will handle all the cumbersome paperwork. There are a lot of forms and various documents needed during a divorce. Your Maryland divorce attorney will handle all that for you and walk you through everything, explaining all the legal terminology in easy-to-understand terms. You will sign where necessary rather than trying to figure everything out on your own.

5. Help You Make Decisions
If you are confused on what to do during the process, your attorney can help guide you on what the best course of action might be for your particular situation. He or she will help you identify your priorities and what you want to get out of the divorce. You will need to prioritize when it comes to asset distribution and figure out where it is best to compromise. Your attorney will work to secure the best deal possible for you, which means some compromising may be necessary.

6. Access to Experts and Consultants
In complex divorce matters, you may need an expert like a forensic accountant who can assess what your business is worth or determine if your spouse has been hiding money or assets. If you are representing yourself, you would have to randomly choose an expert that may or may not be a good fit. Your attorney will have access to a number of experts he or she has used in the past and will know exactly whom to call.

Contact a Maryland Divorce Attorney
If you need assistance with your Maryland divorce, please contact the Law Office of Robert R. Castro at 301-870-1200 or visit www.CastroLawGroup.com. Let us help with all your family law and divorce needs.

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Brooke O’Connell is an associate attorney at The Law Office of Robert Castro and handles family law and personal injury cases. She is a life-long resident of Southern Maryland, and received her Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. While in law school Ms. O’Connell competed on the Alternative Dispute Resolution Team, winning first place at the International Academy of Dispute Resolution Northeastern Mediation Tournament in 2014. After graduating, Ms. O’Connell returned home and began a 2-year judicial clerkship with the Honorable Amy J. Bragunier, Administrative Judge for the Circuit Court for Charles County. Ms. O’Connell is a Member of the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA), is the Charles County Circuit Representative for the Young Lawyers’ Section of the MSBA, is the At-Large Chair of the Charles County Bar Association, and is a Member of the American Inn of Court of Southern Maryland. In addition, she is a Member of the Society for the Restoration of Port Tobacco and donates her time as a Mock Trial Coach for local high school students.