For most of us, behaving like an adult is a good thing. We want to be polite and reasonable, and that’s particularly true during a divorce. Maybe you’re in a situation where you’re considering divorce, things are fairly amicable between you and your spouse, and you think you’ll be able to come to a reasonable agreement between the division of all of your possessions. You do a little bit of searching online for a do-it-yourself legal divorce template, and find one where you can tweak the language accordingly. You’re pretty pleased, since you believe you’re going to save a ton in legal fees.

Maybe, but consider this: while you might be okay with the agreement as it stands, you might not be aware of what you’re entitled to under Virginia state law. As a matter of fact, that seemingly reasonable divorce agreement might actually be deeply unfair to you, compared to what you might be awarded by a judge.

Plus — we hate to say it, but —  during a divorce, things can change very quickly between you and your spouse. If the language in the do-it-yourself template ends up being faulty, both of you will need to go to court anyway, only this time you’ll need to fix all of the legal language regarding support and the division of property. That costs time and money, and during a divorce, nobody wants to spend an excessive amount of either.

Instead, contact TATE BYWATER for all of your family law needs. Our team of knowledgeable divorce attorneys can help you to create a comprehensive divorce settlement agreement that also includes protective provisions an online form likely won’t feature.