How to Get a Divorce Without a Lawyer (Online)

The coronavirus pandemic, which rapidly spread throughout the world in early 2020, has irreversibly changed our daily life in all its manifestations. Having stormed into the lives of billions of unsuspecting citizens without invitation, this grandiose nuisance edited our plans for the near future rudely and uncompromisingly.

With one simple goal in mind - to preserve the lives and health of ourselves and our loved ones - we have been forced to accept the rules of this cruel invader and adapt through self-isolation. The main consequence of this precaution has been the transition of many areas of activity to an online format.

Remote work has become a clear step for representatives of most professions during this period of enhanced quarantine, but how are things going with the necessary legal procedures? Does family law in the United States provide for divorce proceedings online? What are the main pros and cons, and possible pitfalls of this format?

In fact, the ability to file for a divorce using the internet, without advice of a lawyer, has existed in all American states for quite some time. Moreover, this type of web divorce has many great advantageous features and obvious benefits.

At the same time, it is important to realize that the “do it yourself” form of the divorce process has a certain set of mandatory requirements that are important to observe for the optimal implementation of the task. Let's try to understand some of the crucial nuances of online divorce and learn out how to apply for divorce without a lawyer!

Basic requirements for a quick and inexpensive online divorce

In most cases, the classic divorce process is preceded by a deep and long crisis in the relation between the partners. And it is absolutely natural if both spouses see the only solution to the current situation as being the end of the marriage.

After the final decision of divorce is made and the process of preparation has begun, thoughtless actions of spouses can unfortunately arise during this strong emotional experience.

Nevertheless, you should not underestimate the obvious advantages of an uncontested divorce. It is the clear, balanced, and rational approach towards initiating an affordable resolution to the crisis!

Indeed, this may sound somewhat paradoxical, but in order for the couple to terminate their joint family life under the most favorable conditions for both sides, they need to handle this final act as a married couple with maturity and mutual respect for the desires and rights of the other.

In general, the main obligatory requirement that the petitioner of the web divorce proceeding will be forced to meet is reaching a mutual and confident agreement on all major divorce issues with the other spouse.

Managing a successful resolution in reaching a mutual agreement with your spouse on all terms of your divorce is the only way to complete the divorce over the internet!

Uncontested divorce as an affordable and fast way of proceeding

As it was noted in the previous paragraphs, uncontested divorce is the only possible option to carry out all necessary procedures remotely and without involving outside legal experts, allowing you to minimize the financial costs associated with organizing the divorce process, and saving you priceless free time, moral efforts, and nerves.

But how do you make sure that your individual divorce case qualifies as unсontested? First of all, it is worthwhile to understand that an unсontested divorce is a strong-willed decision by both parties of the marriage to end their relationship with dignity and in a civilized manner.

The agreement between the spouses should leave no issues unresolved. This way there is no chance of future disputes or discrepancies. Among the main points that should definitely be addressed in the settlement agreement are:

-       child custody, visitation rights, child support, and any other issues related to parenting;

-       spousal support also known as alimony, which may also include payments for education or health insurance of one of the spouses;

-       common property division or distribution, as well as resolving the couple’s common debts and assets issues.

How to manage your DIY divorce in a few steps

After you have reached a resolution of your joint intentions on all relevant issues and secured the understanding in writing, it's time to try on the roles of petitioner and respondent. One of you has to act as the applicant, accepting the responsibility of filing for the divorce without a lawyer!

By the time you are ready to begin the process of preparing all the necessary divorce papers, you will already have the aforementioned agreement in your hands, which greatly simplifies all further tasks. The agreement ensures that you and your spouse will not have any mutual legal claims and will qualify your case as a no-fault one. As such, there will be no need for additional contact with the courts to indicate the grounds for divorce.

In the event that you have a very limited budget, you will need to navigate the divorce process carefully and avoid optional services that legal organizations may impose on you. Your biggest decision will be who to use to prepare your case. Many private companies are ready to prepare the divorce documents online and do all the exhausting paperwork for you at an affordable price. They can even file the forms to the court for you for an extra fee.

Keep in mind, that online divorce services fill out your divorce forms solely based on data you provide while completing their online questionnaire. Therefore, accuracy is crucial. Pay careful attention that all information you provide is correct.

You can find more information about getting an online divorce here:

https://www.onlinedivorce.com/

If you decide that you prefer to fill out the paperwork on your own, the required forms are available for free on the official court website of your county.

Regardless of if you choose the fast, easy, an affordable option of an online divorce service to prepare your documents, or the free option of doing it yourself, there will be a mandatory fee charged by the court at the time the documents are filed, initiating the case. The amount of the filing fee varies by state and county, so to know the exact amount, you’ll need to contact your local courthouse. 

Whether you do it yourself or hire an online divorce service to prepare your divorce forms, there are some obligatory rules to follow in order to complete your divorce successfully!

-       Download and complete the proper forms. Make sure that you have copies of all divorce papers. It is best to save them in PDF.

-       Be confident that all your paperwork is done correctly. Proofread and check every item. File the completed forms at your local court.

-       Make sure that the other party has received a copy of the divorce petition and is ready to act as a respondent. Get an answer from your spouse.

-       Be patient and think positively during the necessary waiting period. After the waiting period is over, you’ll get the final resolution from the court.