Typically when someone is going through a separation and then a divorce there are a lot of questions they have. One of these questions that you may be asking yourself is how soon should you contact a divorce lawyer after your separation. This is really going to depend on where in the country you live. Let us look a little further into the answers to this question.
Each state has different guidelines as far as how long you have to be separated before you can get divorced legally. I know that in North Carolina you have to live separately for a year before you can even file for a divorce. This state is one of the few that requires such a long separation period before a divorce. If you live in North Carolina then you don’t need to contact a divorce lawyer until after you and your spouse have lived separately for the duration of one year. I believe that North Carolina has such a long waiting period for separation because it is the hope that you and your spouse will reconcile and get back together. This time frame gives you and your mate a good deal of time in which to make amends.
It is a good idea, however, no matter what state you live in that you go ahead and hire a divorce lawyer once you and your spouse decide that you for sure are going to get a divorce. This way the attorney can go ahead and become familiar with you and your situation. He or she will not have to cram a lot of knowledge into a short amount of time but can take the time starting from your separation until your ultimate divorce to get to know you and what your needs are. Getting to know your attorney during this time will also help to alleviate some of your stress and you will soon become comfortable sharing your life with your attorney.
If you do decide to get a divorce and you want to make your separation a little more legitimate than just living apart, you can pay an attorney to have a legal separation. This may sound like a waste of time and money but if you and your soon to be ex are involved in any religious organizations or churches it may help those around you to accept your divorce easier. Since you will have paid to have a legal separation it may be more acceptable in other’s eyes. You personally may not care what others think of you, but this act should help you to be able to get on with your life a little sooner than if you didn’t take these steps.
