There are many websites that claim to provide couples with a quick, easy and cheap California divorce. All they have to do is pay a small fee and download a divorce application to be filed with the court. Sounds simple enough but the problems come further in the process when couples differ in opinion over property division or run into problems that were never addressed before the divorce was finalized.

In this economy, many couples are finding themselves owing more on their mortgage than their home is worth. When it comes to divorce, determining how to handle the home becomes a complex issue. Sell and divide the debt? What if selling is not an option? Are there other options?

Many couples are finding themselves delaying divorce because they do not have an answer for their homeownership problem. Determining whether to attempt a short sale, deed the property back to the lender or try to hold onto the house is a difficult decision to make on your own.

Using a website for divorce certainly will not answer these questions for you. An attorney can not only help walk you through all of your options, but they can draft specific terms in a divorce settlement to protect you now and into the future.

When a couple divorces, the court may divide the duty to pay the mortgage but it does not mean that the other spouse is automatically off the hook. Creditors can go after both spouses regardless of who promised to pay. Protect yourself by finding the best solution with the assistance of an experienced divorce attorney.

Source: Fox Reno, "Divorcing couples struggle with negative equity in their homes," John Seelmeyer, Jan. 31, 2012