Pro Se Divorce - Representing Yourself in Michigan

There are many people who can not afford to hire a divorce attorney. Sometimes these people go to court and go to the law library to find a Complaint for Divorce form or they find forms on the Internet. Unfortunately, just filing for divorce does not necessarily mean you will get divorced. There is a lot of paperwork that still needs to be completed. Also, there are specific deadlines that need to be followed. Just because a party is not an attorney does not mean the court will be lax in the court rules.

There have been many times I have been sitting in court when a case is called where there is a person or couple without lawyers trying to get divorced. Often the parties do not even make it to speak to the judge because the judge’s clerk does believe the proper paperwork was completed or the time requirements were met. The judge’s clerk will not help you with your paperwork or give you legal advice because they are not allowed to. You should speak with a divorce lawyer about your case before trying to do your divorce case without an attorney.

Not being able to get divorced in a reasonable time can be frustrating because you have missed work for a second or third time. Getting no legal advice from the court, individuals that initially hoped to conclude their uncontested divorce without a lot of trouble find themselves extremely frustrated.

I have people hire me sometimes just to complete the legal paperwork and give them the specific time requirements to get divorced without paying me to go to court with them.

Michigan Family Law article provided by Metro Detroit Divorce Lawyer Joshua Ben. Call the law offices of Allan W. Ben, PC for a free consultation.