A contested divorce case happens when the parties are unable to agree on the terms regarding child custody, child support, alimony, and the division of assets and marital property. When this happens, bringing in a lawyer is usually the only way to move forward since neither party is willing to budge on what they want. A lawyer may be able to speed up a drawn-out legal fight while also helping to maintain some level of civility in ugly divorces. They will present their claim of what their client deserves and why to the judge, which is why hiring a lawyer for your divorce is always a smart first step.