Hiring an Attorney

Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:20-21

The above scripture had to have been one of my favorite scriptures while Josh was gone--still is a favorite. What happens if you are served divorce papers? I have to be honest I had no idea what I was going to do if that happened. Knowing that I would never file for divorce was one thing, knowing that my husband has a procrastination issue was another....but WHAT IF the other woman convinced him and helped him fill out the piles of papers for him? What if he wanted it bad enough? Then I got the call asking me for the phone number for our attorney......and then the calls confirming that Josh was in the process of speaking with a local attorney that would help him file papers--QUICK AND EASY.

Did I cry? Oh, man....that is an understatement. What do you do? What do you say? Josh was a bit shocked to find out that I would NOT just sign papers willingly, that I would NOT be UGLY...but I wasn't going to just lay back and let him divorce me.

Do you need at attorney? We do not know the answer. Only your Lord God knows what His plans are for your family. In our marriage, divorce was never granted because our marriage was restored. Some of our readers are separated, not divorced. This is NOT the same thing--might just address that later.

You need to be asking God if you need an attorney, and not listening to advice from anyone else--parents, siblings, and even pastors do not have all of the answers. If you ask Him, God will provide His answer, not man's suggestion, which could be wrong.

It would be devastating if you were faced with a court situation, and you followed the direct advice of someone to not get an attorney, and then end up losing losing your home, your money, and sometimes your children. There is a big difference in your retaining an attorney to institute divorce proceedings, and your finding an attorney to defend you after your spouse files.

The Bible teaches the difference between a Christian bringing suit, and of defending yourself against the suit of someone else. If you have received divorce papers, you are being sued, possibly for everything precious to you.

So, to clear up any misunderstandings that you may have of my beliefs I would NOT say that in order to be a stander you can never seek counsel or have an attorney. I pray it never gets that far, but I do realize that every situation is NOT the same. If you are seeking the Lord, He knows your heart....I would not dare stand in judgement of what God is telling you to do.

"A real "stander" will not use an attorney, trusting God alone to be their advocate in the courtroom is NOT something I believe." I felt the need to address this, as even Josh was a bit surprised....

This is the analogy I was given when I was wondering what I would do, and if I was not trustsing God......if you are faced with a deadly disease; would you consult a doctor? We know that God alone is the Healer, so why go to a doctor or hospital if you are having a heart attack? The Lord gives special wisdom to some of His children so that they can help others. It's the same in this situation. Please, please, if at all possible ask God to lead you to the correct attorney--a Christian, someone who believes God can heal marriages, not someone just trying to get more money for another broken marriage.

If you have been served with divorce papers, action will not go away, simply because you choose to ignore all that is happening. (although it seems easier, at times)

If you were awakened in the middle of the night by a noise and discovered someone in your home, attempting to steal, what would you do? We know the Lord will protect His children, so would you roll over and go back to sleep? No way! You would be praying while you were on the phone calling for help from the authorities. Do the same in this situation. Prayers can end up stopping the whole process. I have READ about divorce proceedings that were in there final stages, and they were dropped suddenly. God is the God of SUDDEN miracles. Satan, the enemy of the family has broken into your home, he wants to stealing your spouse, your belongings, and possibly even your children. Yes, God will be your Defender and your Protector, but you need to be asking Him if He would have you seek legal counsel.

Unless you are the one who is initiating the divorce, hiring an attorney does not end your stand for marriage restoration. I do not believe you are less of a stander. We do not claim to have the answer for hiring an attorney; we have no idea. God has the perfect answer. Seek Him first! I am sure part of the assumption of my disagreeing with counsel comes from the fact that I am not the type to seek a doctor at the first sign of a cold. Indeed, this is correct! Which is why I didn't ever need a lawyer...I don't run to the doctor quickly....so, in this case, I didn't run to a lawyer at the first mention of Josh hiring one either. Run to God first. He will guide you.

"The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice." Proverbs 12:15