Divorce is a difficult time for any couple, with emotions running high and often an unpleasant undertone. Serving your divorce papers is often seen as a final symbolic statement of the death of the marriage, and if it hadn?t hit home until that point that your marriage has ended, the divorce papers will achieve that realisation. Thus serving divorce papers is often a traumatic, but nevertheless essential practice in bringing the marriage to its legal conclusion. But when should you serve your divorce papers, and how does the process of serving work?
Serving your divorce papers isn?t a decision to take lightly, and it is an important legal process. However, because of its final nature, it?s important to time your delivery. Make sure there are no means to negotiation remaining with your former partner, and that there is no room for reconciliation except through the legal process. Serve the papers when you are sure you have exhausted all other avenues available, and when you are convinced it is the only available next step.
The process of serving divorce papers requires some form of acceptance from your spouse, which is usually in the form of a signature through accepted delivery. The deliver is usually conducted by the postal service, recorded delivery to provide proof that the petition was received by the spouse. The divorce papers themselves detail the legal case for divorce and the request made to the court ? in this case, that the marriage be legally nullified.
Prior to serving divorce papers, it is essential to get in touch with an attorney qualified and experienced in dealing with divorce issues, which will ensure you adhere to all the procedural requirements of filing for divorce. Likewise, your attorney will be able to advise you as to the best way to complete and serve the relevant paperwork, and how to proceed with your case in court. While you will have to pay professional rates for their services, it is worthwhile to secure a strong lawyer in your field, with a view to settling on the best possible financial deal as a result of your divorce proceedings.
