Legal terminology can be confusing. In order to understand the term ‘in pro per’ it is important to understand what ‘representation’ means as it applies to divorce.
The term ‘representation’ in a Divorce typically means ‘full representation‘ which is explained as follows:
- The Attorney will represent you in all areas of the Divorce and he/she will be the one initiating actions and responding to actions
- The Attorney will charge a retainer and hourly rate for your legal matter; the exact final fee is usually unknown
- The Attorney will communicate with the court and your spouse or spouse’s Attorney and will charge you for each interaction
- If you run out of money, the Attorney will probably sub out of the case or file a motion to withdraw
Alternatively, many people wish to handle their divorce without an attorney and this is called ‘in pro per’. The problem with ‘in pro per’ is that you are not an attorney and so do not know the law or the court system. This puts you at a great disadvantage. However, the problem with ‘full representation’ is that it costs too much–but you may have a better chance of winning and getting a better deal in court.
Is it possible to both have an attorney on your side and have low cost with no financial surprises?
Yes!! The system that can offer both legal advice and oversight with low cost is an ‘attorney assisted’ method. By using this method, you get the advantage of having an experienced Attorney advise you and oversee your case. You also get low flat fees with no financial surprises.
Attorneys can offer this method by using a generalized approach to your specific case–think of it like what Ford did to the car–he took the assembly line approach to making cars and by doing this he lowered the cost and made more cars!
Attorneys can take the ‘Ford approach’ to most legal matters. By using an attorney-assisted method or ‘limited scope method’ the lawyer can help people with the legal process, paperwork and court representation and offer flat fees for the parts that are provided.
You can now get the best of both worlds–attorney advice and oversight as well as low flat fees!
For more information call Legal Action Workshop @ 800-HELP-444 (800-435-7444) or visit www.LegalActionWorkshopLAW.com .
Hello my name is brittini barlow. I have applied for divorce in van nuys court( petitioner in pro per). I need help with my case. I applied for it in feb.
could you please contact me.
Thank you.
Brittini:
Yes, we can help! Have you served your spouse? How long have you been married? Do you have children or property? Please call our offices @ 818-630-5503 to discuss your specific needs.
Thank-you for contacting Legal Action Workshop–THE LAW FIRM THAT OFFERS LOW FLAT FEES!
I would like to find out the fees for a no fault divorce…the reason is I have no income at the moment..
Corinne:
All divorces in CA are ‘no fault’ however, you may mean an ‘uncontested divorce’ i.e. a divorce in which the parties are cooperative. Do you have children or property? Is your spouse cooperative? The fees for a divorce are listed on our website. If you have issues that need to be resolved and your spouse is cooperative we can prepare an agreement which would avoid a court appearance. Please call us to discuss @ 818-630-5503.
Thank-you for contacting Legal Action Workshop–THE LAW FIRM THAT OFFERS LOW FLAT FEES!
can you tell me if you can help me in a restraining order after hearing my name is rudy lopez i am the restrained person
Rudy:
Did you already go to the hearing? Did the judge make a ruling? Normally, you would have been served with the restraining order and have filed a response. Is your case in LA County? Please call us to determine if we can help @ 818-630-5503.
Thank-you for contacting Legal Action Workshop!
I have an attorney who represented me in my divorce,which was finalize in 12/19/2018 ,but during are signing of entery of final judgment I notice one of his retirement plans was not listed. And brought it to my attorney attention he said not to say anything, that was how he was going to get his attorney fees, just let him sign it so he can perjury himself. So I didn’t say anything because I know I couldn’t afford to pay him,but now he won’t response to my email or certified letter asking him about filing on issues, that he told me he would get , seperate property pictures, community property pictures, removal of ex spouse from title, omitted retirement. Can I have file with the court to get him of my case.
Gwen:
Yes, you can request that he subs out of the case. If your divorce was finalized in 2018, he may already be out of the case…you could check with his office. If these issues listed were not addressed then you may have to go back to court and file a Request for Order. It sounds like you would need an attorney to represent you in court so it would be best to find one closest to your home or office.
Thank-you for contacting Legal Action Workshop!
Hope this helps!
Hello,
My name is Manue.
My husband gave me the divorce papers in Feb. I haven’t responded yet. Since he did not serve me by a third party, is it ok if I haven’t responded yet?
Also, he made a mistake in the years we were married. He out 4 years instead of 8 years. Does he need to change this ? Or do I need to do something about it ?
And finally, with 8 years of marriage can I benefit from his retirement? And would that mean that he gets less money for himself when he retires ?
Oh, and your internet divorce plans say that ‘representation’ is included. Does that mean that a lawyer would go to court with me ? Is that included in the 499 doll . Respondent Plan ?
Thank you very much!
Manue:
You can contest saying that you were not served properly but it is still best to respond. Our fee to respond is $449 and does not include representation in court. When you respond a court hearing does not automatically happen. In your instance, you would respond with the correct dates of marriage and separation as well as anything else you may want. You may then file a Request for Order for temporary support if that is applicable. If you are located in CA, it’s best to call us to discuss @ 818-630-5503. We would need to see the petition that you were given.
Thank-you for contacting Legal Action Workshop!
I filed default paperwork prior to COVID and my divorce was supposed to be final July 1, 2020. I have not received anything and the online system doesn’t show anything. Will my divorce be postponed because of COVID? – I live in Sacramento, CA.
Rebecca:
It may be best to go to the court to see what has happened to the default. The courts have been open but they are slower. Your divorce is typically 6 months and 1 day from the date of service…if your divorce paperwork is not correct then the divorce will be delayed. Once you go to the court…you can give us a call as we can make any corrections that the court requests. We can be reached @ 818-630-5503.
Thank-you for contacting Legal Action Workshop!
Hello Ms. Brenda. Maybe you can provide a helpful word. Try to remain brave as I tell you my story. My situation is beyond reason on any dimension! Major lack of fiduciary duty on his part the entire marriage. I wasn’t allowed to make money. He secretly held many bank accts. For decades, monies in community accts were secretly funneled out & moved from one country to another without being claimed on the Disclosure documents. Assets I didn’t even know existed as well as joint assets were withheld & and secretly liquidated 1 month before he filed for divorce after leaving me 4 yrs prior directly after attacking my caretaker. Multiple refi’s on joint properties w/o my knowledge. In CA!?! Way too many secret loans! Several forgeries on Federal documents. No intimacy. No friendships. No discussions. He lived in his own room on other side of house in every home for 25+ yrs. Made secret deal with his 4 yr attorney with both using threats, harassment, bullying and an ex-parte to “force” me into selling my home by signing my own eviction to live under a bridge w/my pets in lieu of being 66 & disabled with zero spousal support or SSI with his $200,000.00 yearly wage job while he gets to have an attorney! And really, really serious untruths & accusations streaming from his out of control having a fit lawyer at every hearing and recorded on legal document because a law firm offered to help me and gladly allowed a lien to be placed on 1 property to pay attorney fees for myself to be able to at least have a somewhat level playing field in front of a biased judge not in my favor. I was the loyal supportive wife…that is…. until I found out this truth. Did I miss the boat somewhere along the way? I feel I lived an outright lie for 33 yrs. Half my life. He and his attorney are desperate to get these properties sold asap! This is scary because I feel he’s just some guy I didn’t know at all that literally stole my life destroying it along the way. Do I have any legal recourse at all? Thank you.
Anything can be fought…it just takes money. You said that you had a law firm that was willing to help you so I’m not sure what has happened to this law firm? We offer a flat fee for divorce but we do not handle contested cases and we don’t fully represent. It sounds like you need ‘discovery’ which would assess all assets and follow the money trail to determine your rights to said assets. I hope you can get the help that, it sounds like, you deserve!
Good luck!
Brenda