EP 08: Do-it-Yourself Divorce? Don’t

Welcome to the eighth episode of Divorce and Your Money Podcast. Your host, Shawn Leamon,  MBA and Divorce analyst, will discuss Do-It-Yourself divorce.

In fact, divorce is too complicated a process to go through yourself. You are quite likely to make significant legal and financial mistakes that can have a major impact on your divorce. Perhaps the only advantage of this method is that it is the least expensive method for getting a divorce, as you can file for DIY Divorce at your courthouse for only a few hundred dollars.

You may choose this alternative if you don’t have any children or have much to split, but you can make mistakes in trying to save money that can turn out to be very expensive; for example, issues involving alimony may develop, which can vary in every state, and issues with child support may be present if you do have children.

While it is the least expensive method for divorce, you will have to do all the work yourself. You will have to complete the appropriate paperwork, file papers with the court, and much more. This process can take a lot of time, and it is really much better to have an experienced divorce attorney to help you.

Key Learning Points:

• Last resort . . . not the first option.
• Most inexpensive method for getting a divorce.
• Significant possibility of  making legal and financial mistakes.
• May be an alternative if you don’t have children or much to split.
• You will have to do all the heavy lifting yourself.

Thank you for listening to the Divorce and Your Money Podcast. We hope the show helps you through one of the most difficult periods of your life. Shawn Leamonis also author of Divorce and Your Money: The No Nonsense Guide. One-on-one divorce coaching services are available at www.divorceandyourmoney.com.

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