Do not try to represent yourself in a divorce proceeding. If you have significant assets or there is a custody action, you simply cannot afford to proceed without a divorce attorney. It is complicated to accurately value property or determine adequate child support or fair custody arrangements.

Instead of taking a chance, find a divorce attorney to ensure that you are treated fairly by the court system. Take a minute to read this short guide so that you can determine how a qualified family attorney can protect your interests and those of your family.

In a divorce proceeding, one of the major issues is fairly valuing and dividing the assets of the marital estate. The more property in the estate, the more the parties need to enlist the assistance of a divorce attorney.

While it may be relatively straightforward to value cash and marketable securities, the value of a retirement account or family business may be more complicated. A divorce attorney can assess the factors necessary to arrive at the value of an asset or find experts who can do that for you. Even if the parties are able to agree upon the valuation and division of assets, the real issue is custody of children and support.

Many divorce proceedings get ugly when it comes time to negotiate custody arrangements. The legal standard in most states is to fashion a solution that is in “the best interest of the children.”

Children do not ask for the parents to get divorced and rely upon their parents to have the maturity to do what is best for them. Add the complicating factor that, in many states, older children can have a significant voice in determining their primary custodian. Custody is complicated and underscores the need to hire a qualified divorce attorney to arrive at a fair and equitable solution for the parties.

If you have property or custody issues, you have no business representing yourself. Instead, you need to hire a divorce attorney who can help you protect your rights. Find an attorney by researching them on the internet or asking trusted friends or relatives for a referral.

A divorce attorney (as opposed to a general practitioner) will possess the expertise to discover and properly value all of the assets in the marital estate. Furthermore, the divorce lawyer will help you craft a custody and support arrangement that is fair and represents the “best interest of the children.” A divorce attorney will ensure that you are treated fairly and that your voice is heard by the family court even where you are too emotional to think or speak rationally.

Now that you understand the issues involves, do you understand why you need a divorce attorney? Where there is a large marital estate or there are children involved, you simply cannot afford to represent yourself. Property valuation and division is tricky and can lead to an unequal distribution of property. Custody issues cause tempers and emotions to run high. You need a divorce attorney to help you value property fairly and find an arrangement that is in the best interest of the children, even in the midst of high emotions.

Hiring a divorce attorney to represent your best interest is not an option, it is a necessity. You are not an attorney and handling your own divorce is not a something you can do own your own.

Read this before you decide to file for divorce.