In fairytales, love lasts forever. The princess falls in love with prince charming, they get married and grow old together, living happily ever after. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for real-life: as we know, fairytale marriages do not exist, and from the ones that aspire to be like one, more than a half finishes in divorce.
And that’s okay, too: sometimes a relationship is simply not meant to last, whether due to personality differences or occurring complications in life. That’s why, at least in theory, finishing an unhappy marriage should be just as simple as starting one.
Unfortunately, that’s not the case for many people, as they struggle with getting a divorce for years, spending a lot of time, money, and wrecking their nerves over the whole process. For such people – or the ones willing not to end up in a similar situation – there is a great modern solution: online divorce. Discover all the facts about online divorce with us in the following article.
How Does Online Divorce Work?
While applying for an online divorce, typically, you need to follow a few steps.
Choose a Good Company
The first step would be choosing the best online divorce services, bound to fit your budget and needs. Don’t hesitate to search the web, read the reviews, and contact potential companies to ask more detailed questions.
While researching the possible services, ask yourself the following questions: what features of an online divorce are most important to you? Is it the good customer service, the low cost, or rather the security? Consider the additional tools offered, as well as ease of use of the whole website, to ensure using a high-quality service at all times.
Determine Your Eligibility
Having decided on the company, you will be asked a series of basic questions on the website. The questions are meant to determine if you qualify for an online divorce.
Unfortunately, sometimes you might not be considered eligible for an online divorce – for instance, if you and your spouse are not reaching the agreement regarding all issues or would like to file for a contested divorce (meaning you need court intervention). The same goes if you cannot locate your spouse.
Typically, it’s the long marriages with a complicated financial situation and small children that get messy, and thus in such situations, online divorce is not recommended. In such a case, you might still consider the so-called hybrid approach: hire a Houston fathers rights attorney to explain to you all the legal actions and rights, as well as review the final agreements, and then use an online divorce service as a means of supporting the process.
Fill Out the Online Interview
Given that you’re eligible for an online divorce, you will be asked to complete an online interview. In the interview, you will have to answer questions regarding your marriage, children, debts, assets, and other information that will be essential for the process. The whole online interview shouldn’t take more than an hour and is bound to be easy and straightforward. Don’t worry: having chosen good services, you will be guided through the process with hints and explanations.
Obtain the Forms and File the Divorce Papers
After completing all the divorce forms, you should be granted access to all the filled-out documents and the specific instructions on filing them in court. If you don’t want to file your paperwork yourself, check if the company offers the option of filing them for you – some premium services will have this option.
Conclusion
Contrary to popular opinion, getting a divorce doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, and time-consuming. Depending on the circumstances, a couple might even do it online – that way, people may not even have to leave the house in order to complete all the necessary paperwork and file for divorce.
Choosing an online divorce option may help you avoid expensive attorney fees and legal battle costs, not to mention enabling you to control the whole process better and be completely flexible with your decisions. Moreover, the online solution reduces stress connected with getting a traditional divorce and diminishes the chances of getting into a conflict.
At the same time, remember that online divorce is not for everyone. As previously mentioned, sometimes your situation might disable you from choosing this option. Moreover, getting an online divorce is also not recommended if you need a lot of legal advice and human support in the whole process. If you’re doing it online, you will not be that well informed about all the legal actions, which to some people might be hard to overcome. Before making this important decision, consider all the advantages and disadvantages.
After you completed the divorce process, it’s important to move on with your life. Moving on after a divorce often involves reclaiming one’s identity, and for many individuals, that includes changing their last name back to their maiden name. Returning to a maiden name can serve as a symbolic step towards healing and regaining a sense of independence. Those who reside in Illinois, for example, and are interested in this can conduct research and find out how to legally change name in Illinois.