Divorced parents have myriads of decisions to make–from what to make to dinner when the kids are visiting to creating a custody agreement. The decisions they are making are also crucial and can be life changing. They need to make sure that they have the best information and advice to make their custody decisions.

The phrase legal advice often conjures up an image of an attorney presenting a case in court. Many divorced parents don’t know if they need to hire legal help or not. They certainly don’t want to jeopardize their case by not getting the legal advice they need. To help you decide, here are three ideas to think about when considering if you want to hire an attorney.

1. Consider your need for an attorney. Realistically look at your custody case to determine if you need a lawyer. If there are have some problems between you and the child’s other parent in the past, or if there has been a history of sneaky behavior on the part of your former spouse then you definitely want a lawyer. Don’t think that things will just run smoothly. Your situation can also realistically be the opposite and you don’t need to assume that you require legal help. If you and the child’s other parent are able to talk with each other and make big decisions about the children then you may be find representing yourself.

Take some time to discuss your case with a lawyer. You can usually schedule an initial appointment to talk for a low cost. If they seem to think it is a pretty simple case then you may be able to do it alone.

2. Will your lawyer represent your needs? You need to find an attorney who is on the same page as you about your custody case. This is one of the most important things in your life, and you deserve to have a lawyer who understands and respects that. They should be looking out for you and they should also keep you informed of what is going on.

3. Ponder what you can do on your own. You may be able to hire a lawyer but still cut down on legal fees by putting in some extra time on your own. Maybe you can make a custody and visitation schedule and present it to your attorney. Or maybe you can get some other things down so your attorney doesn’t have to.

Deciding to hire a lawyer is one of the bigger decisions a parent will make during child custody cases. The end decision is very personal and varies according to situation. Do what you feel is best and things should work out right.

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