When you have decided that your marriage needs to come to an end, countless questions begin to arise. One of them being, how to file for divorce. Answering this question can seem to be extremely daunting, but if you take it one step at a time, the process of filing for divorce may not be as stressful.
The first step in filing for divorce is to find a lawyer. It is important to understand that even if you and your spouse have agreed to divorce and settle the division of assets on your own, filing for divorce is a legal process and therefore you may still find it helpful to consult with a lawyer. Even if you choose to simply consult with a family lawyer at least once, you can go into the process knowing you have a good understanding as to what is to come in the following steps of the divorce process.
The next step in filing for divorce is confirming where you will need to file. In other words, you should verify if your petition for divorce needs to be filed within the circuit or superior court of your county or district. This information can be provided to you by calling your local court house, where you may be connected to family court or a clerk may simple provide you the information.
The following step in filing for a divorce is to determine what type of divorce you will be filing. You may choose to file for a no-fault divorce, which is more commonly referred to as “irreconcilable differences.” Otherwise, you may choose to file for a grounds divorce. In the case of a grounds divorce, it is inferred that one person is accountable for the failure of the marriage.
In order to file for divorce, you must choose which person is going to file the initial petition. This may not matter to some couples and yet other couples may have one person only who is pursuing the divorce. As you file the petition, you should also file papers for temporary custody and support as needed. Make certain that you have proof, in other words the service of process. This is done to show that a copy of the divorces papers were served.