So you're planning to file divorce forms and represent yourself without hiring a lawyer. It should be easy enough, because there are many websites these days that offer such downloadable forms. The sites separate them according to state, so the forms in each state category are tailored to the divorce laws of that particular state. And yet despite all the guarantees when you get divorce forms online, and despite both your and the website's good intentions, these forms may still land you in some trouble, even if you fill them out absolutely correctly.
Are you aware of changes in divorce laws in your state in recent months? That's the sort of divorce information that could determine just how accurate online forms really are. There may have been changes you're not aware of, and suddenly the forms at these websites are out of date. Unless you can contact the website and guarantee that you can file divorce papers from their site that comply with all the most recent laws, you might be submitting incorrect documents to the court.
So what happens if you show up in court trying to file your divorce forms but find out they aren't entirely correct? The short answer is that they will almost certainly be rejected by the court, and you'll not only have to start again with the right forms, but you'll lose your filing fee.
A longer answer is that you may technically have the correct forms, but because you are getting a divorce without an attorney, you may have filled them out with small errors. If these papers are accepted, those errors could come back to haunt you in unforeseen ways. So having the right forms and filling them out properly is absolutely essential.
If you're going to file divorce forms that you downloaded from a website, then you must be certain they are the correct forms, and if there have been changes to the law, then they have been updated to reflect these changes. It may be hard to contact the website owners, so perhaps you'd be wiser to check your county court website instead, in case they have posted papers divorce seekers can use. Those are almost guaranteed to be completely up to date. Whatever way you do it, if you are going through this process without a lawyer, then you are responsible to double and triple check these things, so you're not wasting your time or that of the court.
Are you aware of changes in divorce laws in your state in recent months? That's the sort of divorce information that could determine just how accurate online forms really are. There may have been changes you're not aware of, and suddenly the forms at these websites are out of date. Unless you can contact the website and guarantee that you can file divorce papers from their site that comply with all the most recent laws, you might be submitting incorrect documents to the court.
So what happens if you show up in court trying to file your divorce forms but find out they aren't entirely correct? The short answer is that they will almost certainly be rejected by the court, and you'll not only have to start again with the right forms, but you'll lose your filing fee.
A longer answer is that you may technically have the correct forms, but because you are getting a divorce without an attorney, you may have filled them out with small errors. If these papers are accepted, those errors could come back to haunt you in unforeseen ways. So having the right forms and filling them out properly is absolutely essential.
If you're going to file divorce forms that you downloaded from a website, then you must be certain they are the correct forms, and if there have been changes to the law, then they have been updated to reflect these changes. It may be hard to contact the website owners, so perhaps you'd be wiser to check your county court website instead, in case they have posted papers divorce seekers can use. Those are almost guaranteed to be completely up to date. Whatever way you do it, if you are going through this process without a lawyer, then you are responsible to double and triple check these things, so you're not wasting your time or that of the court.
About the Author:
If you enjoyed this article, you might be interested in my recent articles on gel fireplace accessories and gel fuel cans that allow you to bask in the glow of a fire with none of the mess of traditional wood fires.
No comments:
Post a Comment