Divorce and Family Law Attorney in Shepherdsville, Kentucky
Should you try a divorce on your own in Jefferson, Bullitt, Hardin, Spencer, Shelby, and Oldham counties in Kentucky? It is a little surprising to learn that most divorce cases in Kentucky start with the parties attempting to represent themselves, in other words, without attorneys.
Unfortunately, most people who attempt to file divorce on their own quickly become disillusioned as their cases become increasingly delayed due to incomplete or incorrect paperwork and the inability to resolve differences. Perhaps you’ve made a few appearances in Court, only to be admonished by the Judge or clerk because your paperwork is incomplete, and issues are not fully resolved.
In many cases, after months have passed and continuous brick walls at the Court House block progress, you may be looking for an experienced, professional divorce and family law attorney who can help you resolve these issues and get your divorce back on track to efficient completion.
If you and your spouse are in total agreement on every issue associated with your divorce, we can help you prepare and file all the paperwork necessary to ultimately complete an uncontested divorce in a timely, cost-effective manner.
However, the reason you shouldn’t try a divorce on your own is the vast majority of divorcing spouses are not in agreement on every issue associated with their divorce. A divorce in Kentucky cannot be completed until every issue associated with the divorce is completely resolved, down to the paperwork. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Division of all assets and debts, including retirement accounts and pensions
- Child custody, visitation, and parenting time, as well as child support
- Spousal support or maintenance
- Division of marital interests in property, investment accounts, or a business interest
By the time the people in these cases reach out to us, they are frustrated, tired, and just want to get things moving and completed. They are almost always concerned about how much time it will take and how much it will cost.
Questions of time and cost will come down to one thing: the amount of disagreement between you and your former spouse and your ability to work through and resolve any remaining areas of disagreement.
My name is John Schmidt, and after more than 25 years of experience in Kentucky family law, I am quite successful in helping our clients negotiate a resolution of difficult issues on their own or through mediation. It is important to realize the impact of asking the Judge to resolve any issue you disagree about:
This isn’t a “win or lose” scenario. When the Judge resolves a dispute, both parties usually come away from the decision feeling unhappy with the outcome, like they have both “lost” a bit. Unfortunately, many studies have shown that a decision imposed by the Judge in your divorce case is much more likely to result in expensive, time-consuming post-decree litigation down the road.
People are much more likely to keep and abide by agreements they have had a role in reaching. This is why negotiation and mediation are so essential and successful. But you’re going to need some help. Don’t try a divorce on your own. Very few people are able to seek and complete a divorce in Kentucky without the assistance and guidance of an experienced divorce and family law lawyer.
We invite you to contact us via e-mail, schedule an appointment or call us today at (502) 509-1490 to get answers to your questions and to learn more about your unique circumstances and how to protect what is most important to you in your family law case.
