Divorce has become more and more expensive over the years. Family Law is a 28 billion dollar a year industry in the United States, due to the fact that these attorneys draw out divorces and custody battles, because it is in their wallet’s best interest. But is it in your and your family’s best interest? You do not have to drain your bank account, or simply stay married because you don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on an attorney to handle your divorce.

Often times, when a couple decides to split, it starts out as amicable. Somewhere between the time that they decide to terminate the relationship, and the actual divorce, things go awry. They begin fighting over money, property, children and sometimes, even dogs. The average divorce cost in America is between $1,000 and $15,000, depending on whether the divorce is contested or uncontested, and other factors, such as child custody. What most couples don’t realize is that they can do their own divorce, without draining their children’s college fund or without taking out loans for an attorney.

The best way to not drown yourself in debt, and still obtain the divorce you seek is to represent yourself. Many people assume they need an attorney for a divorce. Quite the opposite is true. Regardless of whether your divorce is contested or uncontested, or whether you are seeking custody and child support, you can represent yourself. Representing yourself for a divorce, works under the same premise that a person representing themselves for a traffic ticket does, except for a few minor details.

In order to represent yourself for a divorce, you must file certain motions (based on your state), have some understanding of the law (easily obtained) and ensure that you follow the correct procedural law. Filing the motions you need to file for your divorce is probably the most difficult part of representing yourself. You can surf you local law library for these motions, or you can hire a company to prepare the motions for you. Legal document preparation typically costs several hundred dollars, based on what you are filing. However, this fee pales in comparison to $15,000 for a family law attorney.

Legal document preparation companies are not attorneys, but they are well-versed in the laws of particular states, and their procedural laws, and typically advise their clients of such laws. These companies come in very handy when an individual doesn’t have the time to research the law on their own, and when an individual doesn’t have several thousand dollars for an attorney.

Once your motion or motions are prepared, you must serve your spouse, file your complaint with the courts and wait on your court date. Unless your divorce is contested, you will not even need to make an argument when you go to court. The judge will simply ask you a few questions regarding your motion, and then grant your divorce. In some states, even once your divorce is granted, there is a waiting period before you can physically obtain your divorce decree, ranging from 6 months to 18 months.

It is truly that simple to represent yourself in a divorce, and if you choose to hire a document preparation firm, it is even easier. Either way, you get the result you are seeking, and you save tons of money.