Should I Do an Uncontested Divorce Online? | 3 Step Divorce

With the proliferation of online divorce guides, resources and do-it-yourself divorce solutions filing your own divorce without a lawyer has never been more accessible and popular. The term for self-representation is pro se, which comes from Latin and means “for oneself.” A pro se approach is extremely common for getting an uncontested divorce. Preparing and filing your uncontested divorce papers online is easily within the grasp of a couple who are cooperating and can reach an agreement regarding their divorce. According to the National Center for State Courts many state court systems and the federal courts are experiencing significant increases in pro se filers. For example, estimates of the pro se rate of divorce filings overall averaged 67 percent in California, 73 percent in Florida's larger counties, and 70 percent in some Wisconsin counties. Reason for this is because pro se divorce filing can be easy, fast and affordable.

In a general way, an uncontested online divorce is best suited for simple, straightforward cases where the couple agrees about the terms and conditions of the divorce. This means they agree to an uncontested divorce. Shorter marriages 03 marries were couples have amicably separated seem to be best conditions for doing an online divorce filing because there is very little to settle or negotiate. This does not mean an online divorce does not work if you have children and/or assets and debts, but rather the more simple it is, the easier it tends to be to agree with each other. Once spouses can reach an agreement (children, property, debt or not) an online divorce is typically an option for all a divorce cases..

Online divorce solutions make it possible to easily download the completed divorce forms that are required to sign and file with the courts. In less time than it takes to experience a few office visits with a lawyer, and divorce can be filed and in the works to getting finalized by the judge. In many cases, self-representation is the quickest, easiest, cheapest way to end a marriage.

On the other hand, while online divorce works well in a simple, straightforward situation with both parties in agreement, complex divorces often become very tangled with disagreement in a hurry. The more moving parts there are, the more likely problems and arguments will arise.

Spouses often become emotionally charged when a divorce involves high-worth assets, spousal support, and/or children. Parents must contend with child custody, visitation, and parenting plans and how their jurisdiction calculates child support, how long it continues, its impact on taxes, and more. Issues like these can easily be agreed upon, but it is a little bit more work to get to the stage where you both agree on everything. If the work is put in to negotiate your own divorce settlement, then doing your own divorce online is always an option.

If one spouse decides to retains a lawyer, the online divorce (filing yourself) option is no longer the best choice. A pro se filer going up against a veteran lawyer puts the pro se filer at a serious disadvantage. The skill sets simply are not on the same level. Having someone with an intimate knowledge of the laws and the process protects only one party’s best interests. It is at this point it become clear that spouses are no longer cooperating or working together.

When it comes to deciding to do your own online divorce, the biggest draw is cost. Self-representation is often exponentially less expensive that hiring a divorce lawyer. Good divorce lawyers can be very expensive and often charge on an hourly basis. With an online divorce, the cost drops dramatically to $300 or less, but it does not include the filing fees which vary by county throughout the U.S.

When both spouses are amicable and can work together, their divorce can be ideal for an online divorce approach because both sides work together towards a common goal. Teamwork often results in less adversity and become simple and resolve much faster with much more affordable cost.