Free Divorce Information

If you are planning on getting divorced you will not be short of at least one thing – advice. Everyone who means well or has something to sell will tell you what you should do. The bottom line is you have to make the decisions yourself.

Today there are huge numbers of divorces being granted in which a lawyer is not involved. Not many years ago it was the normal thing to employ a lawyer to arrange your divorce. Not any more. Today the do it yourself divorce is extremely popular.

So that’s the first thing. You will not be breaking new ground by conducting your own divorce.

But then understand that every divorce has its own conditions. People with joint assets and children are in a completely different ball game from those couples with no kids and no assets.

To make your DIY divorce work and at an absolute minimum of cost, work out an agreement with your partner. Don’t go anywhere near a court until you have tried everything to reach a written agreement. You see divorce courts are busy places and if a judge is given a properly written and signed agreement, he or she will be delighted to expedite the divorce. You don’t need a lawyer to draw up the agreement although each partner could pay a lawyer to look over the finished agreement just to make sure there isn’t something you’ve missed.

In a DIY divorce you are the clerk and administrator. You get the papers and fill them in, you take them to the court and pay the filing fee, and you deliver them to your spouse. Of course if your spouse is in agreement about getting the divorce and co-operates, much of the emotional distress is removed. And if you don’t fancy serving the papers yourself, you can pay a small fee and have the court appointed official do it for you.

If your spouse hires a lawyer and fires off a legal letter, you will need to consider your position. Do you go it alone or do you engage a lawyer? Your call.

And what if the court sends you a letter asking for clarification of some details or asking you to make a personal appearance? Well if a court calls, you definitely answer. Do as they say even if their request seems petty. Remember in a DIY divorce, the buck stops with you. It may seem daunting but millions of couples divorce every year and many of them do it without using a lawyer. It most certainly can be done.

Always attend any court hearing in person and double check to see you have every document in a well filed folder ready to produce to the court. It’s a bit like taking an exam. The more preparation you do, the better your chances of getting a high grade or, in this case, getting your divorce having done most if not all the work on your own.