When you are your own Rhode Island divorce lawyer you represent yourself and you have the opportunity to make your own mistakes.
This is the unfortunate part of representing yourself Pro Se. So that my message isn't misunderstood, let me be clearer than I have perhaps been in the past. Rhode Island divorces aren't always simple or easy even if they are uncontested or when you "think" they are uncontested.
Some Rhode Island divorces that are uncontested can be made easier and simpler. Keep in mind that this is NOT always the case. Many times it is much more involved than people think.
If you are going to do things yourself and someone has convinced you that it is easy, simple, uncomplicated, etc... to handle your own divorce then let me be clear with the part they have left out. It is just as easy, simple, and uncomplicated to make a ton of mistakes as well.
What's the big deal right? I mean, if it's your divorce then if you screw it up then it was your divorce to screw up and you learn by your mistakes, right? WRONG! If you screw up in the wrong way, or on the wrong day, or with the wrong judge then you may have blown your one chance to get your divorce done right without costing you and your spouse more aggravation, time in court, time out of work, travel time, travel expense, traffic aggravation, parking expenses, etc. . .
One thing that divorce litigants need to realize is that it's not just your divorce or your spouse's divorce, it is the court's divorce too. While you can screw up your own life and your own time, you don't have the right to screw up the court's time or the court's schedule by not knowing what you are doing or by making mistakes.
Do not believe for one minute that the courtroom is the place where you should expect to learn by your mistakes. New lawyers may do it, but it's at a heavy cost because it reflects on their reputation and capability. Plus the lawyers may be sued for learning by their mistakes in court if the mistake is significant enough.
Yes, uncontested divorces may be made easier at times for the parties. Yes, uncontested rhode island divorces may be made simpler by a good coaching attorney.
Do not believe that there is "nothing to it" as I heard one man say as he sat next to me. Ten minutes later he had botched up his divorce so badly and was told by the judge not to come back into court until he had a lawyer.
If you undertake doing your own divorce, you have to take responsibility for your own mistakes and the consequences that go with them.
I am an advocate of people representing themselves in simpler uncontested Rhode Island divorces but not without coaching from a competent, experienced, licensed Rhode Island lawyer.
While the rate of people representing themselves in their own Rhode Island Divorces has risen astronomically with the poor economy I believe that my message has been lost in the wind. How do I know this? Well, when I end up spending more time fixing botched up Pro Se divorce cases than I do coaching people on how to do things right, then either my message has been lost or someone out there is telling people that it's just easy to represent yourself in a divorce without any coaching from a lawyer at all.
If you are going to represent yourself, remember that you have to take full responsibility for the consequences of screwing it up too...and frankly some consequences are greater than others.
My Best to All Who Go Before the Rhode Island Family Courts,
I am Attorney Christopher A. Pearsall and I am
The Rhode Island Divorce Coach.
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