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Everything
You Always Wanted to Know |
| RE: A
personal letter from the publisher, Richard S. Granat, J.D. Dear Friend, |
Save Thousands in Legal Fees |
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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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.
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).
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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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.
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.
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.
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