Online Divorce

When contemplating divorce—I mean really taking the time to think about what’s involved throughout the beginning, middle, and end—it’s no wonder we may be drawn to any path that promises an uncomplicated journey through what’s so often a difficult process.

The promises are enticing, indeed. Claims such as “Divorce doesn’t have to be difficult” and “You can do it in the privacy of your own home without an attorney,” while true in some cases, seem to imply that lawyers somehow pollute the process (I assure we don’t!).

That said, do you need an attorney to handle your divorce, or can you truly do it yourself?

Thanks to the Internet, “Do-It-Yourself Divorce” has evolved into a concept we’ll call the “online option”.

What is the online option? In most states, you can download and complete all the necessary divorce forms from a website, and file and serve them yourself without a lawyer. There are also online services that, for a fee, offer to complete your forms based on answers you provide in a standard questionnaire. In most cases, your completed forms are then mailed to you with state-specific instructions on how to file and serve them.

The “online option” is not for everyone. In fact, it’s for very few. Whether it’s right for you depends on the following factors...read more