Statistics Show a Record Number of DIY Divorce Cases in 2011

A record number of people filed for divorce by themselves in 2011 according to DivorceToday.com, a DIY divorce service.

DivorceToday.com founder Marc Rapaport explains the growth of do it yourself divorce as the result of two factors:

• Availability of DIY divorce kits
• Economic challenges faced by many American families

It would appear that many are resorting to DIY divorce filings because they are a cheaper alternative to hiring a divorce attorney. However, there are many benefits to hiring a lawyer that a DIY kit simply cannot provide.

Minnesota Courts provide pro-se parties (i.e. parties without an attorney) with the majority of the forms that they need in order to start a divorce action, custody action, child support action, etc. These forms are available on the Minnesota Court's website. Also provided are instructions on how to fill out the forms.

However, each family law case is different. Minnesota Court's website cannot explain every nuance of the law or what course of action is appropriate for the parties' specific case. Moreover, Court Administration is unable to give any legal advice to pro se parties. Any party attempting to proceed in a court action pro se should be fully aware that the legal documents that they sign, as all Court orders are binding.

If a party later changes his or her mind about the agreements that he or she entered into, or the relief that he or she sought from the Court, lack of legal representation is not an argument that the Court will typically entertain as a reason to re-litigate issues. It is much easier and more cost effective for a party to hire a divorce attorney on the front end of an action and make sure that everything is completed correctly, rather than hiring an attorney months or years down the road to modify a custody arrangement or unravel a divorce decree.

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