Are you looking for free divorce paperwork? Before filling them out, learn about their advantages and disadvantages!
The High Cost of Divorce
Many married couples only legally separate because they don't have the money to pay for divorce attorneys and court costs. However, married couples can only get by with separation for so long before divorce becomes inevitable. To decrease the financial burden of divorce, many couples turn to free divorce paperwork online instead of hiring an attorney.
The Advantages: Why People Use Free Divorce Paperwork
If you are considering using the Internet to complete divorce paperwork, you probably based your decision on one of the following advantages:
- One of the main reasons why people use free divorce forms is because they don't cost anything. All you need to do is find the forms you need for your particular marriage situation, state, and print them out. Not only do you not pay for the forms but you also don't have to pay an attorney to fill them out for you.
- Another reason why people use online divorce forms is because they are amicably divorcing their spouse and they don't want to involve an attorney or mediator. These couples know how they want their assets divided and agree on child support and custody. All these couples need to do is make it official by filling out the forms and submitting them to court.
- Using printable divorce forms from the Internet also saves you time. You don't have to waste time looking for an attorney nor do you have to set time aside to meet with him/her. You can do the forms at your convenience.
The Disadvantages: Why Some People Don't Use Free Forms for Divorce
Before looking at websites with free divorce documents, consider some of the disadvantages of using them.
- Every state has different divorce laws, which means different documents. You need to file the exact paperwork for your state or you will end up spending a lot of money in court costs due to the resubmission of documents.
- You may not receive your fair share if you don't understand what you are entitled to in the settlement. While an attorney may be costly, using one may pay for itself if you are able to get more of your share of assets.
- It can take some people a long time to complete the divorce documents because they can be confusing. This is especially true if you are not familiar with legal jargon.
Making the Decision: Using Free Divorce Paperwork
If you've decided to use free divorce paperwork, you can find your state's documents on one of these three websites.
Warnings About Internet Divorce Documents
Beware of websites that want to charge you for divorce documents. You do not have to pay for your documents. Courthouses usually have these documents free for your use so they shouldn't carry a fee online. The only times a website may charge you are if you ask for assistance with completing a form. In this instance, be wary of receiving divorce advice from anyone other than a State Bar-certified divorce attorney.
