When you look for divorce law help, it's essential to keep in mind that some will be targeted at a national audience, and some will be state-specific. Ultimately, you need to know the laws of your state, or the state in which your divorce is proceeding, but general divorce law help can also be useful. And because divorce can be a process laden with lots of paperwork, help in actually obtaining and completing the documents can also be important.
Attorney
The best and most direct way to get divorce law help tailored to your unique situation is to speak to a licensed attorney. Most attorneys will usually give you a free consultation to determine whether they can assist you. Though hiring an attorney can be expensive, divorce is fairly common and some relatively low-cost practitioners can likely be found in your area. Online directories like Find Law can help you find local family law attorneys (see Resources).
Secondary Legal Resources
If you're going to represent yourself, or you just want to learn more about your divorce process and the controlling law, there are numerous secondary legal resources that can give you useful information. Online, you can access your state laws and discussions about how the process will work in your divorce. Websites like Nolo and Free Advice offer discussions about general family law terms and procedures. Your local public library will have similar resources, and may have books or other materials specifically regarding divorce in your state.
Forums and Experts
Another common way to get divorce law help is to ask people who know. There are several Web forums, such as Expert Law, on which you can post your questions and survey a variety of other people's questions. On AskALawyer.com, you can receive a free answer to your question by a legal practitioner based on the laws of your state (see Resources).
Court Resources
If you do file for divorce, inevitably you will have to obtain the appropriate forms and get them filed. Usually, these are posted online by the state's court system or highest court. Many states also have robust online and real-world self-help centers that help you decide which forms you need, provide instructions for filling out forms and tell you where to file. Some state courts have "pro se" packets that guide you in representing yourself in a divorce.
Document Preparation
One of the benefits of hiring a lawyer is that you have a professional filling out the forms for you. If you aren't using an attorney, you can still get professional help from a document preparer. Since most are not licensed attorneys, a document preparer cannot give you legal advice or help you select forms, but can do the actual work of filling out forms to your specifications. Online document preparation is also available through sites like Legal Zoom (see Resources).
