Jennifer Lopez’s Unusual Divorce Filing Says ‘I’m Filing and I’m Doing It On My Own’: Legal Source (Exclusive)

Jennifer Lopez‘s unusual divorce filing amid her split from Ben Affleck indicates she “just wanted to get this done” and move forward, a legal expert tells PEOPLE.

On Tuesday, Aug. 20, Lopez, 55, filed for divorce from Affleck, 52, in Los Angeles County Superior Court without using a lawyer. She listed April 26, 2024 as the date of separation.

The pair married in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022, but Aug. 20 marked the second anniversary of the traditional wedding ceremony they held in Georgia.

While speaking to PEOPLE, Marilyn Chinitz, who is the matrimonial partner at Blank Rome LLP, says when discussing Lopez’s decision to file without counsel, what is known as pro se, “I think that she most likely just wanted to get this done, [that] there was a lot of hesitation and hemming and hawing back and forth, and it’s a statement, ‘I’m moving forward, I’m filing and I’m doing it on my own.'”

She says it’s likely the former couple have been “probably working with a mediator” amid the divorce proceedings.

Chinitz, who isn’t connected to the case, adds, “I think it’s a real statement from her saying, ‘I’m moving forward. Counsel or no counsel on filing,'” adding that it would be “extremely unusual” if the couple don’t have a prenuptial agreement, as was reported by TMZ.

“The only time that you see people not having a prenup is when they’ve put most of their assets in trust for their children, and those trusts have been established and they wouldn’t be part of the community [property],” Chinitz tells PEOPLE.

As to whether the divorce is “amicable,” Chinitz adds, “I think the next step is to see how he [Affleck] responds, and I think that will give us a clue as to what’s going on.”

California-based family law attorney, David Glass, also tells PEOPLE that Lopez and Affleck are likely working with a mediator.

“Sometimes when people work with a mediator, they hire a neutral third party, either a retired judge or a very experienced attorney who doesn’t represent either of the parties, but it helps them to mediate,” Glass says.

“It helps them to figure out how to split everything up. The mediator will prepare the pleadings for them, but they appear pro se like they’re filing for themselves. And so that’s probably why she’s pro se, I don’t think she’s intending to represent herself or figure it all out,” he adds.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Lopez and Affleck’s split comes after they rekindled their romance in April 2021 — years after they first dated and became engaged, before postponing a planned September 2003 wedding.

While speaking to PEOPLE in 2022, Lopez said of getting back together with Affleck, “I feel so lucky and happy and proud to be with him. It’s a beautiful love story that we got a second chance.”