A guide to DIY divorce

If you and your spouse have come to the conclusion that you will be getting a divorce, you can hire attorneys to aid you. If both parties agree on the split, you can get a DIY divorce to make it a little easier. Here are the steps to follow to get a divorce on your own.

Agree on terms with your spouse

Make sure that you and your spouse agree on all the particulars when it comes to splitting what you own. Getting a DIY divorce can save you money on the cost of divorce, but you will not have someone to help you in determining who gets what. Figure out what your assets are. You will need to determine how you are going to divide everything, from money and property, to children. If there are kids involved in the divorce, you must agree on who gets custody, visitation times and any child support.

Know your laws and get divorce forms

Check with your local court’s clerk about the divorce laws in your state. The requirements may vary by state. In most states, you will need to be a resident for more than six months if you wish to file in that state. If you or your spouse have not lived in the state long enough to establish residency, you will need to file a petition so that you may be considered a resident. If you can agree on everything and have checked the local laws, you can obtain divorce forms online or at your county court. The forms will most likely come in a divorce kit, and you should look over everything carefully and make sure that you fill out the forms completely.

Submit all forms and wait for your court date

Mail the divorce forms to your local family court. You will need the original and two extra copies. The clerk there, will date stamp it and take the original to be filed at the court. One copy will be date stamped and given back to you. The other will go the Respondent, or your spouse. You will also be required to pay any filing fees. You will then wait for your court date to come. Before that date, you should file a notice of hearing for anything that you have a financial obligation to, such as mortgage payments. These should help to take care of any financial issues that may arise between the time you file for divorce and your court date.