There is no right or wrong answer as each individual will have to decide this for themselves but here are some things to consider:
With a little research, most people can find legal forms to use. People often think they can simply fill out the basic forms and then ask the Judge to grant the relief they want such as a divorce, or a change in parenting time, etc. However, it is not that simple and often times once filed, circumstances arise where these individuals find themselves involved in a difficult situation they cannot get out of causing them to desperately start reaching for attorneys to assist. On a regular basis, I receive calls from people who are a month or two out from trial and litigants feel they can retain attorneys at that time. This is simply not true and people might find that most attorneys will not take on their cause at that time. If an attorney does take on the case, be prepared to hand off a sizable retainer. There are a couple for reasons for this and that is mostly due to lack of time under the rules to have the case ready for trial and the inability to undo all the things that went wrong leading up to the current state of affairs. Before you consider representing yourself, have a consultation with an attorney and if money is an issue see if the attorney is willing to represent you from the beginning in a limited scope capacity such as for consulting and reviewing of documents rather than filing an actual appearance. You should also consider alternative dispute resolution procedures such as mediation or the collaborative practice for divorce and/or child related matters.
