Guidance For All The Steps Of Pennsylvania Divorce
The prospect of divorce is overwhelming, particularly when faced with the complex legal procedure. At Purdy Law Office, LLC, we understand what you are about to go through because we have guided thousands of clients successfully down the same path. For years, our attorneys have provided outstanding divorce counsel in Lemoyne and the surrounding area.
On this page, let us go over a few of the major steps that you can expect to encounter if you file for divorce in Pennsylvania.
An Overview Of The Process
Although your divorce is different from anyone else’s, you will follow most of the same steps. In Pennsylvania, some of these include:
- File a divorce petition
To begin, you will file a document called a divorce complaint with the court in your jurisdiction.
- Serve the divorce papers
Then, you must arrange to have a disinterested third party serve your spouse with the papers. This person could be a sheriff, a private process server or a neutral person not involved in your divorce.
- Determine whether your spouse consents or does not consent
Your spouse has the option to consent to the divorce, which is referred to as a mutual consent divorce or an uncontested divorce. In these divorces, both parties must agree to terms such as property and asset division.
If your spouse does not consent, you must proceed with a nonconsent or contested divorce. This is when the two of you have a disagreement about how to handle the divorce issue.
- Complete the documents for a mutual consent divorce
After at least 90 days from the date you filed the complaint, the two of you can sign the necessary documents to finalize your divorce, including an affidavit of consent and a divorce decree.
- Negotiate an arrangement or proceed to trial
If you and your spouse still do not see eye to eye, you have the option of dispute resolution techniques such as negotiation, mediation and collaborative law. Should these techniques fail to work, the court will issue a date when you can appear before a judge to receive a divorce order.
This is merely a broad overview of the procedures you will follow. When you sit down with one of our experienced lawyers, we can give you a much better idea of what your divorce will look like. We will let you know what to expect and what your future might look like.
Learn More About The Divorce Process
You do not have to tackle these steps alone. Allow us to serve as your guides. When you are ready for reliable counsel, reach out to Purdy Law Office, LLC. You can request an initial consultation by calling 717-221-8303 or by using our online contact form.