Depending on the circumstances you can get divorced yourself.

Perhaps despite appearances, the court system tries very hard to serve the public. The law in most states grants individuals the right to bring their own cases to court. This is called “pro se” representation.

The wisdom of your doing so and your own comfort level both depend on you as an individual and your particular circumstances.

When Avery & Upton works with a pro se client in an uncontested divorce, we are not taking on the responsibility of managing the case. Therefore our fees are much lower. We are only performing tasks that you ask us to do, and that we can do more efficiently or effectively than you can.

The tasks we perform in these cases fall into three categories:

• Giving advice and information
• Drafting documents
• Representation

Unbundled representation or “discrete task representation” is a relatively new trend, but it’s growing. In many states, a majority of cases have at least one unrepresented party. In a growing number, both parties are unrepresented. The reasons for this probably include the availability of self-help materials in print and online, as well as the cost of attorney services. If you have an income, you probably don’t qualify for legal aid. But full representation in divorce can eat up much of the couple’s net worth.