Practical notes on the documents and steps that come before filing for divorce.
Preparing for a divorce starts with gathering the basic paperwork: your marriage certificate, your children’s birth certificates and the documents relating to shared property.
What to settle before you file
Before filing, it helps to decide whether you will ask the court to rule on fault, and where each of you stands on parental responsibility and contact with the children.
What your lawyer does
Your lawyer helps put the paperwork in order, drafts the petition and represents you at the hearing — which takes a good deal of the strain out of the process.
This article is general information and does not constitute legal advice on any specific matter.