Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Will My Orange County Divorce Require A Lawyer?

By Jon D. Alexander, Esq.

No. You are not required by law to hire an attorney or lawyer to get divorced in Orange County, California.

Beware though that there are numerous instances where you, without a doubt, should retain counsel. Foregoing the advice of a qualified attorney in these situations will cost money, time, and be extremely emotionally taxing.

The following ten examples are by no means an exhaustive list of all of the situations that might require a qualified Orange County divorce attorney. This list, however, contains many common factors that do require the advice of an attorney:

Either you or your spouse:

1. Owns a business; 2. Owns substantial real property (commercial or residential real estate other than the family home); 3. Alleges abuse of any kind directed towards one another or the children including any physical, sexual, and non-physical (emotional, verbal, or psychological) abuse; 4. Has been married for 3 or more years; 5. Has threatened to move out of Orange County with or without your children (if applicable); 6. Has assets acquired before marriage, during the marriage by gift/inheritance, or acquired during marriage with separate property funds; 7. Accepts cash payments for work, which might make verification of income difficult; 8. Alleges that the other is a neglectful parent or has poor judgment or parenting skills; 9. Has substantial assets in need of protection and which may be subject to taxation upon dissolution of marriage; 10. Has warned the other that no financial support will be provided where the other may be entitled to it.

In the event that these circumstances are similar to yours, its time you found a qualified Orange County Divorce Attorney. Visit us at http://www.oc-familylawyers.com for a free, confidential consultation.

This article is not offered as, nor is it to be construed, as legal advice, nor does it create any relationship, attorney/client or other, between the author and the reader. To obtain any legal advice, consult an attorney licensed to practice law in your state.

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