Elawyers Elawyers
Washington| Change
Asked in Garland, TX Mar. 19, 2020 ,  2 answers Visitors: 87
Got married in 1970 separated in 1972. 3 children 49,deceased,and 47 years of age. need divorce don't have a clue where to start

2 Answers

Anonymous
Reply

Posted on / Mar. 22, 2020 02:17:03

As stated above, decide if you want to use forms and do this yourself or hire a lawyer. There is a third option, sort of a hybrid - use unbundled legal services. Some attorneys offer this option, it is less costly and the attorney gets information from you, completes the forms for you, and gives you a script to use with detailed instructions. The cost is much less because you pay only for the expertise you need and then you can do the "time consuming parts" without a lawyer - no need to pay the attorney for things like taking the documents to the Courthouse, getting them filed, sitting in the courtroom waiting for the Judge to call your case, etc.

Anonymous
Reply

Posted on / Mar. 19, 2020 17:06:57

If your spouse is in agreement then the process can be fairly straightforward. At this point there are no child related issues as you have no children that are under the age of 18 and still in high school. You can hire an attorney to assist you, or you can find the pro se forms that have been put together by the Supreme Court of Texas. The first step, whether you intend to represent yourself or be represented by an attorney would be to file the petition. The next thing that needs to be done is to put the other side on notice that the petition has been filed, either by having your spouse sign a waiver of service or getting your spouse served by private process server or law enforcement. Once the other side is server or has signed a waiver, if you have an agreement with your spouse both sides will need to sign an agreed Final Decree of Divorce. And then the spouse who filed will need to make arrangements to get the divorce heard by the judge. Given the current covid-19 crisis that may be able to be accomplished by a prove up through a sworn affidavit, or if things have calmed down by the time it is time to finalize, you may have to make a one-time appearance before the judge to give testimony on the court's uncontested docket.
I would recommend that you reach out to an experienced family law attorney to get advice as to the best course of action for your particular circumstances.

Can't find what you're looking for?

Post a free question on our public forum.
Ask a Question

Can't find what you're looking for?

Post a free question on our public forum.
Ask a Question
Search for lawyers by practice areas.
Find a Lawyer