First lawyer: “You’re an unmitigated liar.”

Second lawyer: “You’re a lowdown cheat.”

Judge: “Now that the lawyers have identified themselves, let us proceed.”

—–

Have a lawyer joke you’d like to get off your chest? Share your laughs!

Helping you help yourself,

I just read in The Law Times News that the number of people divorcing without a lawyer is rising…

Oh, I forgot to mention that this apparently is a problem- for lawyers of course! Truth is, only a lawyer would write an article touting him or herself as being at a disadvantage when going up against a self-represented litigant in court; only a lawyer would label self-represented litigants as “bullies;” and only a lawyer would carry on for 1,300 words about how “unfair” all of this is (cue the violin!).

Yes, most self-representing litigants may not know the law inside and out. Yes, most self-representing litigants have no idea how to conduct a trial or motion. Yes, a number of self-representing litigants may not even know how to start a Divorce Application (or that there’s more than one kind!). Yes, yes, yes. But that doesn’t mean you can’t educate yourself, or that you shouldn’t have access to the information you need to do so.

The fact is, if you’re going to represent yourself in a divorce proceeding then you have a responsibility to educate yourself. So, why not start now by becoming a member of MyOntarioDivorce.com?

Helping you help yourself,

While representing yourself in court instead of hiring a high-priced lawyer like myself can definitely reduce the financial costs of obtaining a divorce, removing a lawyer from the picture doesn’t necessarily mean that your divorce will be without financial costs or beyond your obligations for support. If he or she wants to, your spouse can drag your divorce proceedings out for years.

The only way to minimize the cost of your divorce is by making every effort you can to resolve the issues arising from the breakdown of your marriage together, without a lawyer’s assistance.

If there are children involved then you and your spouse need to agree on all aspects of childcare and custody arrangements. This means that you have to decide not only who the kids will live with but also agree on a visitation schedule for the parent they don’t live with, as well as when the visits will take place and for what amount of time.

Furthermore, property needs to be divided fairly so that both parties are satisfied with the division. If you own a house, you must decide who will continue living in the house and ultimately who will keep the house. If you can’t come to an agreement on the house then you must determine whether you should sell it and divide the net proceeds of sale. The division of funds doesn’t have to be a 50-50 split just as long as you can agree on an equitable way of sharing it. You also have to agree on the division of all other property which can come down to small things such as who gets the big screen TV or the microwave. A useful way of deciding is to take an inventory of your home, creating a list, deciding who gets what, and doing so until you’re both happy with the division.

Helping you help yourself,

Stress, anxiety, expense- these are only a few of the seemingly unavoidable consequences of getting divorced. Lawyers are partly to blame because, sadly, some of them don’t have your best interest at heart. Instead, their main concern is making money off of your marriage’s end. A Do-It-Yourself (”DIY”) Divorce may be your answer for minimizing the financial expense of getting a divorce, and hopefully some of the stress and anxiety as well.

A DIY Divorce is perfect for spouses who actually get along and are able to resolve some, if not all, of the issues arising from the breakdown of their marriage.

If you and your spouse can resolve basic issues, then you have the first tool you need for a DIY divorce. The second tool is MyOntarioDivorce.com’s online divorce document service which assists you in preparing the court forms you need, with a guarantee that they’ll be accepted by the court. So what are you waiting for? Sign up for a Premium Membership at MyOntarioDivorce.com today!

Helping you help yourself,

As someone who’s been in the legal game for almost 30 years I know that typically, the process of retaining a Family Law Lawyer goes something like this:

After speaking with them briefly about your case over the phone, you visit your soon-to-be divorce lawyer’s office for the first face-to-face meeting. You shake hands and cautiously walk into their paper-cluttered office, with expressions of worry and distress all over your face. You discuss your case briefly again before the lawyer asks you to sign a document which sets out the terms of their retainer.

And then the most important step takes place: the lawyer asks you to provide them with a BIG FAT CHEQUE. This cheque’s usually for several thousands of dollars and is known in the legal world as the “retainer,” meaning an advance payment to the lawyer for services TO BE performed. This won’t be the only cheque you hand over to your lawyer. In fact, it’s likely that the funds deposited into their account will run out in a matter of months, if not weeks. Your lawyer will most likely ask you to provide another retainer and to pay any outstanding bills not covered by the first. This pattern repeats itself over and over again, often forcing you to obtain a line of credit or a loan from family or friends.

I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be this way- that you can keep your BIG FAT CHEQUE for yourself when you use MyOntarioDivorce.com

Helping you help yourself,