Everything You Always Wanted to Know
about No-Fault Divorce and Self-Representation
 

The Secret to an Easy Divorce

There is an easy way to get a divorce.  An "easy divorce" sounds like a contradiction in terms - an oxymoron, if you will. There is, however, an easier way to get a divorce than the traditional way where both parties are represented by attorneys from beginning to end. If you recently separated from your spouse, or have been separated for some time and want to secure a divorce, the easiest way to get your divorce is to secure a no-fault divorce and to file as a pro se litigant. "Pro se" means to represent oneself. Pro se representation is a time-honored American tradition and has been a practice in our country since its founding; it is also the least expensive and least emotionally draining method of getting a divorce. Take a few moments while I explain how you can get an "easier divorce."

The Secret to an Easy Divorce:  What Your Lawyer Won't Tell You

Representing oneself is not for everyone. If you have complex assets; if there is an imbalance of power between you or your spouse; if there has been domestic violence within the relationship; or if you cannot communicate with each other as adults; then you need to be represented by counsel.  If  however, you can agree on all of your issues, and you enter into a Marital Separation Agreement with your spouse, you can easily file a no-fault divorce in any state in America.

Filing a no-fault divorce is a  relatively very easy and simple process.

If you have no children and no assets, you might not even need a Marital Separation Agreement, and you can file your divorce papers directly if you meet the residence and other divorce requirements in your state. Your total cost will be court filing fees; thousands of dollars less than if you were represented by an attorney.

Since I am a lawyer, I am not "anti-lawyer." However,  my  work in helping hundreds of pro se litigants manage their cases in relatively simple family law matters in the Maryland and District of Columbia court system has convinced me that with the correct legal information and legal forms, a person can handle their own divorce without incurring the high cost of legal fees. We have also researched the satisfaction that pro se litigants get from representing themselves and remaining in control of their case and the results have been overwhelmingly positive.

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Converting your Divorce from a Contested Divorce to an Uncontested Divorce and Saving Thousands of Dollars in Legal Fees

If you have a contested divorce -- a divorce in which you cannot agree with your spouse on one or more issues -- you will likely need to be represented by an attorney. 

Once you give your dispute to your lawyer, you lose control over it.  You also lose control over how much of your lawyer's time will be spent on your case. Often you spend thousands of dollars more than is necessary to settle your case. To avoid this kind of complexity and expense you need to convert your contested case into an uncontested case. This is the secret to an easy divorce. This is the information your lawyer doesn't want you to know or understand. Once all the issues have been settled you can file for an uncontested divorce and represent yourself as a pro se litigant.

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What if You and Your Spouse Cannot Agree on One or Two Issues?

If you and your spouse cannot agree about one or two issues, your best choice is family mediation. One or two hours spent with a trained mediator, or resolving your dispute through claims evaluation, can save you thousands in legal fees and much emotional heart ache. Once you have reached agreement you can execute a Marital Settlement Agreement which is the basis for a hassle-free no-fault divorce. (See section on Mediation for information about Mediation Resources). 

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Does the "Pro Se" Process Work?  Are "Pro Se" Litigants Generally Satisfied with the Outcome?

In 1993,  the American Bar Association's Special Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services,  focused its attention on self-represented litigants in the Maricopa County family court (Phoenix). The Committee's report (Sales, Self-Representation in Divorce Cases, ABA, 1993) disclosed that:

• Over 50% of the divorces were being handled without lawyers on either side and that only about 10% had lawyers on both sides.

• Widespread satisfaction with the results of self-representation by those engaging in it.

• No indication of any form caused by representing oneself.

• Our research on hundreds of pro se litigants in family matters in Maryland also supports this conclusion. See report at the, The Pro Se Law Center. A more recent study in December, 1997 in Massachusetts found that in 69 percent of 10,746 cases heard in that month, at least one of the parties appeared pro se. [See ABA Journal, January, 1999, p.28, "Turning Pro Se"]
  
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What Our Customers are Saying

“I received the prepared documents…I filed the documents in the Superior Court yesterday and they were perfect. Thank you for your great service.” 08/2007

“I am so happy that you offer this service. We simply wanted to add an additional middle name for our daughter and we didn’t want to contact a lawyer for such a small issue. Thank you so much.” 08/2007

“…I got my Judgment for Absolute Divorce in the mail today. Your documents are thorough and got me through each step of the process…I got through it, and every single document I needed was there…I'm officially divorced. Thanks so MUCH for your product. There is NO WAY I could have afforded to pay even the retainer the lawyers were asking for… 08/2007

“Thank you so much for your personalized yet professional approach to preparing these documents. I appreciate the accessibility and communication that is rare in modern technology procedures. 08/2007

“We took the paperwork to the courthouse yesterday and they put us right on docket, and we were before the court and done by 9:30 A.M. Thanks so much for making this so simple and painless! I plan to use your service again...” 07/2007

“Thank you very much for your response, this is really helpful to me. Since I decided to take matters in "my own hand", and I'm not that great in legal matters, your help is greatly appreciated.” 07/2007

“Thanks so much for preparing these forms at such a great pace.” 07/2007

“Communication was very good, very quick answers and the papers were done and in my hands in less than a week.” 06/2007

“I did receive all the requested information and it was completely 100% accurate...you were able to provide me with everything I needed. I am very pleased with everything.“ 06/2007

“Thank you for such a speedy reply....and an unexpected refund!” 06/2007

“Thank you for the quick response. The refund for the divorce portion is greatly appreciated. All customer service should be handled the way you have.” 06/2007

“You are awesome for responding so quickly. Even if it wasn't the news that I wanted to hear. Thanks for letting me know.” 06/2007

“Thank you for your very prompt and helpful response!” 06/2007

“Thank you very much for all your help on this matter and I will send people to your site. Once again thank you and have a great day.” 06/2007

“That was prompt, informative and exactly what I hoped. I greatly appreciate your assistance in this matter and your kind understanding of my error. Rest assured, future legal document needs will start with your service. ” 06/2007

“In the middle of all of the other hassles surrounding this situation, not having hassles with you guys is refreshing.” 06/2007

“I wanted to thank your organization for an excellent product that made my divorce as simple and painless as possible. The directions and forms were very clear and followed the letter of the law exactly. I cannot imagine how much money I saved using your product for my uncontested divorce, and even the judge said she thought it had been prepared by an attorney! Excellent job.” 05/2007

“I can't tell you how wonderful an experience I have had with your organization. It has been a long time since I have receive such efficient customer service and responses to all of my questions. I look forward to doing business with your organization in the near future.” 05/2007

We are always looking for ways to improve our site, and we consider customer feedback to be one of the most important ways to accomplish this. Please click here to tell us your thoughts.

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You Can Save Thousands of Dollars by Using the Information on this Web Site

Find  everything you need to do your own divorce including:

State Divorce and Marriage laws and requirements
Child Support Calculators  These calculators are provided as a guideline for child support calculations.  For a more precise calculation please consult an attorney in your state.

Links to family law and divorce resources on the Internet.

We offer:

1.  Divorce Self Help Kits for most states.  Our customized Kits include every form you will need and step-by-step instructions.   We also offer:

2.   Marital Separation Agreement Kits for all states which can be immediately downloaded and created using our Rapidocs proprietary document automation software.

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We guarantee that you will be satisfied with our  services or we will refund your money, no ifs, ands, or buts.
 

• All of our electronic form kits are developed by attorneys and are customized to your state.
   

• Our Divorce Legal Form Kits are as easy to use as a word-processor.
   
• Our Kits are supported by E-mail Technical  Assistance Service and by telephone support. Our telephone numbers are posted one very page. We can't give you legal advice, but we can help guide you through the court processes and point you to legal information sources that can help you resolve issues that might prevent you and your spouse from reaching agreement.
   
• All of our products are state specific.

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All Divorce and Legal Form Kits are NOT Equal

There are 51 different sets of laws in America that govern divorce, one for each state and the District of Columbia. The filing requirements are different for each state. Unlike bankruptcy forms, which are the same throughout the United States because they are based on federal bankruptcy law, there are differences in legal form requirements from state to state.

Our state-specific divorce kits are specifically tailored to requirements of your state by our nationwide wide team of lawyer and paralegal researchers. Beware of divorce form kit offers that claim to be valid in all fifty states and are based on the same set of forms. We don't offer
 

Divorce Kits in every state yet, because they are difficult to create if they're to be effective in your state. We are continuing to develop new specialized kits for each state on an ongoing basis. If you don't see your state in the list, send us an e-mail  and we will notify you when your state will be published.

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Here's the Best Part:  Our 100% Refund Guarantee

If you want to try this new way of getting a divorce, I insist you do so entirely at my risk. All of our products come with a NO Risk, 100% Unconditional Money-Back Guarantee. There is absolutely no risk on your part. 

I want you to order without fear that if you start this process and it seems too difficult for you; or your spouse will not agree and you have to consult counsel; or if for any reason, you aren't completely satisfied, simply return the product or your papers within 30 days of your date of purchase for a prompt refund of your purchase price.

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Start on the Path to Your Divorce

If you don't have a Marital Separation Agreement (also known as a Property Settlement Agreement), and you have children, a house, and any assets, you should have one. You can execute a Marital Separation Agreement immediately after you separate - you do not need to wait until you file for divorce. If you have already entered into a Marital Separation Agreement, or do not need one, and the waiting period for your divorce has run, you can file your no-fault divorce immediately.

ORDER YOUR DIVORCE KIT OR MARITAL SEPARATION AGREEMENT KIT FROM OUR LAW STORE

The easiest and fastest way to order is directly online with our Secure Server that is operated by Yahoo (by Credit Card or the Yahoo Wallet).

Our catalog section also has details.  

I look forward to your note telling me about how the process worked for you and your family and how you spent the thousands of dollars you saved by NOT going to an attorney.  Even though I get an enormous amount of mail, keep these notes coming!   I love to hear these "success" stories about how our customers have moved on with their lives with a minimum of hassle and cost.

Sincerely,

Richard S. Granat

Richard S. Granat, J.D.
President & CEO
MyLawyer.com, Inc., and
The Divorce Law Information Center
contact us here

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