Maybe you don't!
I would say that 97% of all divorce cases end up settling out of court. And lawyers can be expensive!
And the Alaska Court System offers the Family Law Self-Help Center, as a free public service to divorce litigants who want to do this on their own and are able to deal fairly with each other to work out custody and property issues amicably. The staff at the Center are lawyers for the most part, and they provide very helpful assistance in navigating the bank of forms (also available online) necessary to process your divorce.
However, the staff at the Center will be the first to tell you that they are unable to provide legal advice. So, in a sense, you're charting these waters on your own, and what one of you considers to be "fair and equitable" might not be in the eyes of the law.
I can't count the number of times I've had the following discussion with a prospective client: "My spouse wants to split things 50-50. What could be fairer than that? Neither of us is getting more, or less, than the other?"
The law of Alaska answers this question, and provides that the court can consider a number of factors in deciding what is "fair and equitable", including disparity in income, health and age of the parties, length of the marriage, etc.
I've told many people that they may not need a lawyer. The choice is yours. If you would like to learn more about whether your case can be resolved without representation, please give me a call.
I would say that 97% of all divorce cases end up settling out of court. And lawyers can be expensive!
And the Alaska Court System offers the Family Law Self-Help Center, as a free public service to divorce litigants who want to do this on their own and are able to deal fairly with each other to work out custody and property issues amicably. The staff at the Center are lawyers for the most part, and they provide very helpful assistance in navigating the bank of forms (also available online) necessary to process your divorce.
However, the staff at the Center will be the first to tell you that they are unable to provide legal advice. So, in a sense, you're charting these waters on your own, and what one of you considers to be "fair and equitable" might not be in the eyes of the law.
I can't count the number of times I've had the following discussion with a prospective client: "My spouse wants to split things 50-50. What could be fairer than that? Neither of us is getting more, or less, than the other?"
The law of Alaska answers this question, and provides that the court can consider a number of factors in deciding what is "fair and equitable", including disparity in income, health and age of the parties, length of the marriage, etc.
I've told many people that they may not need a lawyer. The choice is yours. If you would like to learn more about whether your case can be resolved without representation, please give me a call.
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