When filing for divorce a lot of questions may arise concerning paperwork. Which forms to file, what should be included, how to file and serve them, etc. If you choose a DIY divorce, all these decisions will fall on your shoulders, which may be pretty overwhelming.
You have to understand the divorce process to avoid any mistakes. Thus, research is an essential part of your preparations. Remember, if you have any problems with your papers, the judge can send them back, which will cost you additional time and nerves. This article will give you some tips on how to file a divorce without any legal help. Keep up!
Contents
1. You need to understand the procedure before initiating a divorce
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You won’t jump head first if you don’t know what’s in the water, right? The same goes with getting a divorce. To avoid mistakes, you need to understand the procedure before initiating it.
According to Arizona state’s rules, either you or your spouse must reside in the state for no less than 90 days before filing for a divorce. If you meet this requirement, your next steps will be as follows:
- Select and fill out forms
- File the completed forms with the court clerk
- Serve your spouse with the forms
- File proof of service with the court clerk
- Comply with Disclosure and Discovery Rules
- Get through the waiting period (60 days since serving the spouse)
- Hearings
As indicated by arizonaonlinedivorce a lot of people that start a divorce aren’t aware of this complex procedure and they lose a lot of time, figuring things out on the go. That’s why, it is better to do this online if you have the possibility and in this case, you have. The citizens of Arizona can file for divorce online and complete it, which makes it a lot easier to do it this way.
2. Work out your further actions
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Before you initiate this process, you need to consider your future. Where will you live? Will you survive financially? Will you need some support? If you are clear on these issues, you can make some arrangements as you are going through it. These arrangements can significantly influence your paperwork and will add several forms to your set of documents.
The best option for you is to sort everything out with your spouse beforehand, amicably, if possible. Such an agreement may shorten the overall divorce process and help you avoid any further disputes in court. Moreover, if you manage to agree with each other, you may keep your relationship with your spouse healthy after the divorce.
If you manage to decide on alimony, also known as spousal support, child custody, property division, etc., you may want to proceed with an uncontested divorce. It is considered the fastest and the most straightforward option for those seeking an inexpensive and unproblematic dissolution of marriage.
3. Choose how to handle your divorce forms
When going through a divorce process, dealing with tons of paperwork is inevitable. However, in a DIY divorce, you may choose to do it yourself or let online paperwork preparation services handle it instead.
If you choose to do it yourself, you will definitely save some money, but you may also risk making common mistakes that can influence the overall time of your divorce process.
In the second case, you will be able to prepare your paperwork from the comfort of your own home and get your completed divorce forms ready to be filed in a matter of days.
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However, don’t expect to get a divorce over the internet. Although such online services are often called internet divorce or web divorce, they can only help you complete your application for divorce online relatively fast at a low cost. You can’t complete your divorce online because only a judge can issue such a decision.
So think your strategy through when applying for divorce and remember that online services can’t divorce you, but they certainly can reduce the cost of your divorce paperwork.
4. File your divorce documents properly
Dealing with a divorce without an attorney, you need to remember that proper filing depends on you. Thus, you better not rush the process. The divorce takes time, but it will not take a lot if you do the filing properly.
Remember that the filing requirements depend on the county as well. You should address the county’s clerk’s office to check whether you fulfill the requirements. When you are ready to file, choose the court correctly.
Your best decision will be to address all the concerns in your divorce step-by-step. And don’t forget about the deadlines, as they may significantly influence your divorce process.
You will also have to pay filing fees unless you get the judge to waive them for you.
5. Be ready to appear in the court
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Sometimes it may be impossible to reach an agreement with a spouse, which usually leads to a final trial with the court. In most cases, it is preferred that the spouses resolve their issues without the judge outside the courtroom.
If the couple can resolve all issues themselves so that their divorce is uncontested, they won’t have to go through a complex trial. Therefore, it is more beneficial to work out the settlement without getting the court involved.
Conclusion
If choosing a DIY divorce in Arizona, you should know its key aspects. This option fits spouses who are ready to cooperate and want to save money during the process.
Nevertheless, a DIY dissolution of marriage requires thorough preparation as the mistakes may significantly increase the overall time of your divorce. However, you can always choose online services to complete your divorce forms, making the paperwork process easier for you and your spouse. This is already a difficult time in your life, no matter whether you are happy or not for getting out of that marriage and you should do everything you can to make it easier.
