Do I need a lawyer for a divorce in Maryland?
Key Takeaways
- There is no legal requirement for a divorce lawyer in Maryland.
- Lawyers can help with case efficiency.
- They also know local court systems and they may know the judge in your case, which may give you an advantage.
You aren’t required to hire a lawyer for a divorce in Maryland. However, most people say working with a lawyer was the right decision.
Marble Law surveyed more than 280 people who hired lawyers for their divorces. Below are some of the common reasons they said an attorney was helpful:
- 33 percent said they didn’t feel comfortable without one.
- 25 percent said they wanted to get the best outcome for their case.
- 24 percent said that they thought it would make things easier.
Data from other surveys suggests that another benefit to hiring legal counsel is positive outcomes. This is particularly true in more complicated cases involving issues such as spousal support and child custody.
For example, one survey questioned people in custody cases where both parties, one party or neither party had an attorney. Three-quarters of respondents were “extremely” or “moderately” satisfied with the outcome when both parties had a lawyer. But only 59 percent of people who didn’t work with an attorney reported the same levels of satisfaction.
Another empirical study measured the benefits of working with legal counsel when seeking spousal support. When both spouses had an attorney, support was awarded in almost four out of five cases. But when neither had a lawyer, only one in 10 cases resulted in support.
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If my spouse has a lawyer, do I need one?
The fourth reason our survey respondents hired a lawyer was because their spouse had one. Many people fear their spouse will have an unfair advantage in property division, child custody and more if they don’t also lawyer up. And there’s data to back this up.
In the spousal support study, support was awarded in 12 percent of cases when one party had a lawyer but 77 percent of cases when both parties had counsel. And in the custody survey, when both parties had lawyers, 86 percent of cases settled out of court, but when only one party had a lawyer, 63 percent of cases settled.
What about the cost?
Hiring an attorney may seem more expensive than self-representation. However, you likely don’t have any legal experience or understand how the system works. You may misread complicated legal documents or financial disclosure forms. All of that can lead to mistakes that eat up more of your time and money or even lead to long-term expenses such as higher child or spousal support.
The bottom line: Even if you feel financially strapped, seriously consider hiring a lawyer. They may save you money in the end.
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