The online divorce service is becoming more and more popular every year. Instead of spending colossal sums on the services of lawyers, lots of spouses decide to prepare all the necessary documents online. There are many myths surrounding this affordable procedure. And today, we are going to talk about the 5 most important facts you need to know about online or internet divorce.
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It Works With Uncontested Divorce Only
While online divorce is a quick and affordable way to get the forms you need, it doesn’t work for all cases. If your divorce is contested, you will not be able to prepare the forms with the help of a web divorce service.
Online divorce is a great solution for peaceful cases of dissolution of marriage. It works when the spouses cooperate to resolve all their controversial issues without the help of a court.
The essence of an uncontested divorce is that the spouses find a compromise in matters such as property division, child custody, spousal support (alimony), children support, or any other disputes that are related to the dissolution process.
A couple can also turn to divorce mediators to resolve their disputes while still being eligible for an online divorce.
Online Divorce Companies Ask Only Essential Information
When you prepare an application for divorce online, you have a wide range of questions to answer. These vary from state to state and your peculiarities but be prepared to provide a lot of information. It includes data on the place of residence and occupation of both parties, their financial situation, the presence of common minor children, and so on.
At first glance, it may seem that this is too much data, but all this information is needed exclusively for generating forms. The system analyzes the clients’ responses and, based on this, prepares the divorce papers required for the court.
The questions asked by the system are not that difficult. But please note that depending on the circumstances of your couple, you may need to provide more information. Thus, the process of answering questions may take longer.
It Helps to Complete a Divorce Without an Attorney
Online divorce is a good opportunity to save money on the services of a lawyer. Overall, this will help keep the cost of divorce down.
When it comes to amicable dissolution, spouses can resolve many aspects on their own. Since the overall divorce process is easier, they can do without outside help. It’s also known as Do-It-Yourself (DIY) divorce.
In addition to preparing the required forms, online divorce companies provide extra services. First, the standard package includes a set of step-by-step instructions for filing documents with a court, allowing spouses to do everything on their own, avoiding unnecessary steps.
Secondly, if it still seems too complicated, some services submit documents to the court, obtain the case number, and serve the respondent for an additional fee. It is very convenient and inexpensive, and it is still cheaper than the services of a lawyer.
It’s Suitable for Couples With Minor Children
There is a misconception that online divorce is a service only for the simplest cases. When it comes to marriage dissolution, where there is no common property and minor children, it is undoubtedly easier. However, online divorce works great in more complex situations as well.
The main point of this kind of service is to prepare forms for an uncontested divorce. And they do it well, even with different customer circumstances.
But to be eligible for an uncontested divorce, the couple has to resolve all their controversial issues. If the parents can agree on the division of custody and the amount of support for the children, all they have to do is fill out the forms. Moreover, many online divorce companies provide templates for parenting plans, thus making it easier for spouses.
Major players in the market also help complete parenting classes required to finalize a divorce in some states.
Online Divorce Does Not Provide Legal Advice
Unfortunately, when you use an online divorce service, you are unlikely to get legal advice. Most of the companies that provide divorce over the internet are not law firms, although their activities are entirely legal.
Their main task is to generate court-approved forms and fill them out according to the couple’s circumstances. But they do not provide clients with lawyers for personal advice. Thus, if your case requires a more complex explanation, you should seek the help of a qualified attorney.
However, some resources still provide legal assistance. But these are no longer just online divorce companies but law firms. Accordingly, the cost of their services will be significantly higher.