Divorce Advice Warning

Andrew Woolley of Family-Lawfirm warns divorce advice has many traps for the unwary. In my earlier blog post back in January 2008 I wrote self-help groups can be a good source of information, advice, guidance and support but it can be unreliable, or plain wrong, sometimes with disastrous results. My advice to anyone divorcing would always be consult a lawyer early on in the process to find out where you stand and what your options are.

Last week a national newspaper highlighted the advantages of Wikivorce (see this post) in providing advice about the legal process and I think it is important to remember the basis upon which members like me originally registered.

Let me start by saying that Wikivorce is not a replacement for solicitors. Wikivorce is a place you can learn, share and make friends. It is a community of people going through divorce (or recently divorced) who support each other during a very challenging stage in their lives. In fact I believe that Wikivorce can complement the work of solicitors by providing its members with emotional support, but also basic information on the divorce process. This should enable them to work more effectively with their solicitor, to achieve wherever possible an amicable, negotiated out of court settlement.

Ian Rispin, Wikivorce founder commenting on Divorce Solicitor's blog
11 June 2007.