The term ‘In Pro Per’ simply means that a person who is filing for divorce does not have an ‘attorney of record’ for his/her case. An ‘attorney of record’ for a case means that the divorce attorney listed ‘fully represents’ the client.
Attorneys that ‘fully represent’ for divorce typically do so using an hourly/retainer fee structure. The hourly rate may range from $250 to $500+ per hour and retainers may range from $2,000 to 5,000+. It is evident that hiring an attorney for divorce can be very costly. However, not having an attorney can also be costly because most people do not understand their legal rights and the court process.
The internet has made much more information available to the general public. There are many divorce lawyers listed on legal portals such as Findlaw& Lawyers.com, as well as search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Firefox etc and social sites such as Facebook and Yelp. In addition, the courts offer online divorce information and guides as well as ‘self help’ centers. Further, most lawyers have websites that explain different aspects of divorce.
Even though there is a lot of information online and in the court, it is still difficult for most people to understand their legal rights as well as the complexity of the court process.It’s surprising that most of the divorce litigants in California are ‘in pro per’! Many of these ‘in pro per’ litigants have gotten legal help from lawyers. A lawyer may have represented a client for a portion of the case and then has subbed out and no longer represents. In addition, a lawyer may be helping a client for a ‘flat fee’ and does not fully represent.
A flat fee divorce lawyer is usually not the ‘attorney of record’ for the case. In this sense, the client would be ‘in pro per’. However, the attorney mayadvise the client, prepare the appropriate paperwork and handle the processing of paperwork in the court. If a court appearance is needed, the attorney may offer his/her services for a flat fee as well.
In essence, an ‘in pro per’ litigant can still get the legal help he/she needs to be successful in court. A ‘flat fee’ divorce lawyer can save the client a lot of money while still giving him/her the legal advice and oversight that is needed.
If you wish to handle your divorce ‘in pro per’, contact the affordable flat fee lawyers @ Legal Action Workshop! We will explain your legal rights and options and help you through the divorce process for a low flat fee. We can easily be reached @ 1-800-HELP-444.
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