What is the best DIY book about divorce in the U.S.?
There isn’t one. There can’t be. I’ll explain why and what you can and should do if you want to go the DIY divorce by the book route. The main reason there is no “best DIY divorce book in the…
Should I use free family law resources?
Merely use them? I don’t see the harm in being familiar with them. Reading, watching, listening. Learning. That’s a good thing. A very good thing. Being dependent upon only free resources? No. That’s a bad thing. Should you use free resources exclusively, without…
Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 21: Never
By Quinton Lister, legal assistant I am still new at my job. I have only been a legal assistant since Summer of 2021, but I know for myself that I would never go to court representing myself. There is simply…
I suspect my husband fathered a child with someone else. Can I challenge our divorce ruling?
Appeal, Children in Divorce, Divorce, Divorce Law, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Equity, Extramarital affairs/Adultery, Family Law, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Legal System, Men's Divorce Issues, Postnuptial Agreements, Premarital Counseling, Premarital property, Prenuptial Agreements, Preparing for Divorce, Pro se (representing yourself), Procedure and Evidence, Property Division, Protective Orders, Psychological Evaluation, QDRO (Qualified Domestic Relations Order), Real Estate/Real Property, Reunification, Women's Divorce Issues
If I suspect my ex-husband fathered a child with someone else while we were married, can I challenge our divorce ruling? If, by this question, you mean that you are the wife; and you discovered, after you divorced, that your…
How do lawyers drag out court cases?
How do lawyers drag out court cases? In some respects, the ways are limited only by the power of one’s imagination, but the most common ways I have experienced in my field of practice (divorce and family law) are: falsely…
Should I pay my lawyer to talk to the attorney of the other party? He spent 3 hours last week responding to 12 emails from the other lawyer and I need to pay him for this time. At this rate I my lawyer will become a secretary and I will be bankrupt.
Attorney Fees, Coping With Divorce, Dirty Tricks, Divorce Attorneys, Divorce Costs, Divorce Fears, Divorce Lawyers, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Family Law, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Ineffective Assistance of Counsel, Lawyer Fees, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Preparing for Divorce, Pro se (representing yourself), Women's Divorce Issues
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Should I pay my lawyer to talk to the attorney of the other party? He spent 3 hours last week responding to 12 emails from the other lawyer and I need to pay him for this time. At this rate…
In court cases, how does taking an oath make any difference?
Contempt of Court, Court Orders, Court Rules, Dirty Tricks, Family Law, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Legal System, Men's Divorce Issues, Pro se (representing yourself), Utah Court Rules, Utah Law, Women's Divorce Issues
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In court cases, how does taking an oath make any difference? From what I can tell, yes, it appears that taking an oath or affirming to tell the truth before being questioned as a witness in a legal proceeding (whether…
Do you need a reason to get a divorce?
Amicable Divorce, Coping With Divorce, Court Orders, Court Rules, Divorce, Divorce Fears, Divorce Law, Divorce Lawyers, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Divorce Procedure, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Mediation, Men's Divorce Issues, No fault divorce, Pro se (representing yourself), Women's Divorce Issues
Do you need a reason to get a divorce? Not really, at least not in the jurisdiction where I practice divorce law (Utah). Even if you get a “no fault” divorce (“no fault divorce” means that you don’t have to…
If I can’t find an attorney, can it honestly be said I got a fair trial?
Coping With Divorce, Court Rules, Dirty Tricks, Discovery, Divorce Attorneys, Divorce Costs, Divorce Court, Divorce Fears, Divorce Law, Divorce Lawyers, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Divorce Procedure, Evidence, Family Law, Finances, Lawyer Fees, Legal System, Men's Divorce Issues, Preparing for Divorce, Pro se (representing yourself), Procedure and Evidence, Women's Divorce Issues
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If I can’t find an attorney, can it honestly be said I got a fair trial? If a person seeks legal representation in a court, and every attorney they tries to hire refuses to represent them, can he receive a…
Why does someone need an attorney when they can just defend themselves in court?
Addiction, Attorney Fees, Coping With Divorce, Court Orders, Court Rules, Custodial Interference, Dirty Tricks, Discovery, Divorce Costs, Divorce Court, Divorce Fears, Divorce Law, Divorce Lawyers, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Family Law, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Justice and Equity, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Preparing for Divorce, Pro se (representing yourself), Procedure and Evidence, Uncontested Divorce, Unwed Parents, Utah Code, Utah Court Rules, Utah Law, Women's Divorce Issues
Why does someone need an attorney when they can just defend themselves in court (pro se)? Why does someone need an attorney when they can just defend themselves in court? It really depends on how you define “need” here. First,…
Are older lawyers better?
Attorney Fees, Coping With Divorce, Divorce Fears, Divorce Lawyers, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Lawyer Fees, Legal System, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Motion Practice, Negotiation, Paralegal, Preparing for Divorce, Pro se (representing yourself), Women's Divorce Issues
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Are older lawyers better? If by “older” you mean lawyers who are not fresh out of law school, the answer is: almost always yes. They don’t teach you how to practice law in law school, they teach you how to…
How do I fight a DUI without a lawyer?
Addiction, Attorney Fees, Child Custody, Child Custody Modification, Child Protective Order, Child Protective Services, Children in Divorce, Custody, Custody Evaluation, Dirty Tricks, Discovery, Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS), Divorce, Divorce Fears, Divorce Preparedness, Grounds for Divorce, Lawyer Fees, Legal System, Modification of Parent-time, Petition to Modify Decree of Divorce, Physical Custody, Pro se (representing yourself), Substance Abuse
How do I fight a DUI without a lawyer? You don’t. Too much at stake. Too hard to do on your own. I’m a lawyer (a divorce and family law attorney), and although I don’t drink, if I were charged…
Do Pro Se Divorce Parties Succeed?
Do Pro Se Divorce Parties Succeed? Do you know of anyone who decided to represent themselves pro se when the other party had an attorney in a family law case, where the pro se party was the non-custodial parent? What…
Have any tips for representing yourself in family court?
Have any tips for representing yourself in family court? Do you have a success story as a pro se litigant? First, my answer comes from the perspective of a divorce lawyer. Consider the source as you read my answer, sure,…
Do I have a chance in divorce court without a lawyer? Do I really need one?
A chance? Sure. You have a chance. And you have a chance of winning the lottery, just not a very good chance of it. You may not want to read the rest of my answer because I am a lawyer,…
I represent myself in family court: why does the judge ignore my evidence?
If I go into a custody hearing representing myself, how come the judge will not look at any of my evidence or even give me the chance to talk? It’s due to at least one of the two following things:…
‘Have any tips for representing yourself in family court? Have any success stories of pro se litigants?
If you don’t know what questions the judge must answer (and also the questions that the judge may want answered) to reach a ruling on your case, you are not prepared to testify. If you don’t know what the winning…