Online divorce services help people fill out divorce papers at a lower cost than hiring an attorney. They are designed for uncontested divorces and may have geographic limitations. Filing fees are separate. Online divorce can save time and money, but is not suitable for couples who cannot agree on property division.
An online divorce is a slightly misleading term because in most countries, a real divorce does not occur by filing paperwork online. However, there are now a number of services that help people fill out divorce papers with relative ease which can then be filed with local court systems. Essentially, online divorce refers to the many agencies that offer this help with paperwork, usually at a much lower cost than it would be to get an attorney to complete and file the forms needed to obtain a divorce.
There are various divorce sites online and they are designed for uncontested divorces that are not contentious about property division or child care decisions after divorce. When a couple mutually agrees to divorce and does not contest property division or child custody, it may not be necessary to involve lawyers in the process. Instead, a person can visit an online divorce site and fill out all the necessary paperwork. Once the forms are completed, that person usually has to mail or deliver the documents to a local court. Both members of the couple sometimes have to fill out forms, or the person receiving the divorce petition may need to file acceptance statements or sign paperwork.
Because divorce laws differ by state and country, an online divorce site may limit the geographic areas or regions where they offer this service. For example, some sites may exclude service in some US states where divorce laws are extremely complex. This helps these companies ensure that they will fill out forms correctly and as required by the state or country. Most reputable companies offer money-back guarantees if they make mistakes, and others will correct documents at no extra cost. It’s important to look for these guarantees so people don’t pay for services that ultimately don’t work.
Many states and countries have filing fees, which may be due when filing divorce papers. These fees tend to be separate from those charged for obtaining a divorce online. Expect to pay filing fees when you file documents with the appropriate courts. This tends to be no different than using an attorney to file documents because attorneys typically add filing fees to the cost of their services.
Experts estimate that filing through an online service costs one-third to one-half the cost of maintaining a lawyer, although sometimes people may be able to obtain legal services for little or no cost, or on a variable if they have a low income cost. This type of divorce can save time, and people generally do not fill out the actual legal paperwork, but instead answer easy-to-understand questionnaires and help the online divorce service fill out the actual paperwork. In some states, an uncontested divorce doesn’t even require a court appearance, and this can be an excellent choice for couples who can divorce amicably.
However, it’s important to remember that online divorce is not for all divorced couples. Those who cannot reach an agreement on an equitable division of property cannot use this method for divorce. They rely on the services of lawyers or mediators to help resolve disputes and may even require a court appearance if some issues remain unresolved. This tends to be expensive due to the additional legal fees involved, but may be the only way to obtain a divorce under certain circumstances.
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