Divorce Papers

Divorce papers represent the formal beginning of a long and difficult process in your life. With this website we will walk you through the steps required when filing for divorce, as well as providing tips and suggestions along the way. Additionally, we provide, information on alternative paths available, such as divorce settlements, DIY divorce, and the difference between a legal separation and a divorce.

Are you concerned about the high financial costs associated with your divorce? You certainly should be. Divorce can be an extremely complex legal process, and in most cases this process is made even more difficult by the intense emotional feelings between the parties. It can be very difficult to maintain your focus throughout the proceedings while you attempt to understand the legal intricacies of the courts and deal with your emotions at the same time. Therefore it is highly suggested that at some point you refer to professional legal advice in the form of a family law attorney, but this can be VERY costly, and if money is an issue at all, you’ll want to have some background knowledge before you get legal help.

Lawyers typically will charge you based on an ‘hourly rate’. For simple matters they will usually offer a flat fee, but a contested divorce is rarely simple. Believe it or not, the national average for a billing rate is $285 per hour and can range upwards of $1000/hr, so you certainly want to keep your time spent with a lawyer at a minimum. You can save an incredible amount of time (and money) with the lawyer if you go into the first meeting ‘prepared’ with a solid idea of want you want to accomplish and an understanding of what needs to be done to reach that goal.

The decision to file divorce papers against your spouse is an intensely personal choice, often made all the more difficult by the presence of children in the relationship. It is very difficult to provide anybody with advice on ‘if’ they should proceed with divorce, as it is impossible for an outsider to fully understand the relationship between a married couple. However, once the decision to divorce has been made, it is very important that you educate yourself on the relevant laws and proceedings and work as hard as possible to separate your emotions from logically approaching the issue. A divorce is often the biggest financial event in a person’s life, even larger than buying a house or deciding on a career path, yet all too often people go into the process knowing next to nothing about what to expect, and the result is often unrealistic expectations for an outcome. Combine these unrealistic expectations with intense emotions and you have the recipe for a long, drawn out legal affair that can cost into the tens of thousands of dollars and beyond. An unwillingness to be reasonable can often lead to an end result that leaves both parties worse off due to massive legal costs.

Once you decide to file divorce papers against your spouse, the first step you need to take is to educate yourself. That means familiarizing yourself with your state laws, what is the legal process like? Does your state allow for legal separation? If children are involved how does your state deal with alimony and custody rights? You can search either online or at the local library and you will be able to find lots of great information. Searching for recent rulings and case examples of situations similar to yours can provide context and clarity on what to expect as a final outcome. Getting familiar with the norms for legal costs in your region will give you an idea of what you can expect to spend on the divorce; is it worth it from a financial perspective to launch a long and drawn out legal war with your former spouse? Elsewhere on the site, we will explore these questions in greater depth, and go into some specific examples you can take advantage of.