Things to Do After Receiving Divorce Papers

There are several things you should do right after receiving your divorce papers. First, read through them carefully to see whether there are any surprises. If you haven’t expected anything else, then you will probably be surprised by some of the things you find. For example, you might not realize that you need to file a response to the other party’s petition within 30 days. If you miss this deadline, you may lose your chance to contest the claims made against you. Also, keep an eye out for any deadlines that are listed in the paperwork. Many states require you to respond to the other side’s request for child custody or spousal support within a certain amount of time. If you fail to meet these deadlines, you could face serious consequences. Finally, keep track of all the deadlines listed in the paperwork. Make sure you follow through on each one, or you may find yourself facing penalties later.

A summons is a legal document that tells someone that he or she must respond to an official complaint within a certain amount of time. A petition for divorce is a legal document that states why the couple wants to get divorced. You must serve the papers at least 30 days before filing for divorce. If you fail to serve them within this time frame, then the court will dismiss your petition. You may choose not to serve the papers yourself, and instead hire an attorney to do it for you. However, if you do not file the papers within the required time frame, then the other party will automatically end the marriage.

You may not realize it, but you have already signed away half of your assets when you got married. If you want to keep what you've earned before marriage, you'll need to file for an annulment. Once you're divorced, you'll have a chance to get back at least half of your pre-marital assets.

In the United States, divorce papers are legal documents. If you get divorced, you may receive copies of the paperwork through the mail. These forms are usually called “divorce papers” or “dissolution papers.” You must read them carefully before signing anything. Most importantly, you should read the summons. The summons tells you when the court hearing is scheduled. It also gives you information about your rights and responsibilities during the proceedings. You should never sign any paper until you’ve read everything in the summons completely.

As soon as you’re done reading the papers, it‘s time to hire an attorney. If you and your spouse have any assets to split, if there are any minor children involved, or if you both want to seek alimony, you need someone to represent you. A lawyer in Harris County, Galveston County, Fort Bend County, Montgomery County, Brazoria County, Houston, Sugar Land, Missouri City, and Stafford, Texas at Thornton Esquire Law Group, PLLC, can help you understand your rights and responsibilities during a divorce and can also help you navigate the legal system, scheduling court dates, and arguing on your behalf during asset distribution, child custody, and alimony negotiations. You should contact a lawyer as soon as possible. A lawyer will be able to answer all of your questions about the legal proceedings and provide you with advice on how to proceed. Contact us today at thorntonesquirelawgroup.com for a free consultation.

Once you get the summons, it‘s your responsibility to file an answer to the court. This is called your counter-petition. You should write down all of the requests your partner made and any other information you think might help your case. You should also list what you’d like the judge to rule on. You may have a certain amount of time to file your answer, depending on when you were served. Make sure you send it back to the court on time. If you miss the deadline, the court could issue a default judgment against you, giving your partner everything they asked for. Your lawyer will make certain you send the answer on time.

Once you’ve hired an attorney, you’ll need to provide them with everything they need to represent you in court. This includes financial records, proof of asset ownership, account information for banks, investments, and retirement accounts. Your attorney will also ask you questions about your assets, income, and debts. You should answer honestly and completely. If you don’t, your lawyer might not be able to properly defend you in court. Be careful when answering questions because if you lie, you could face serious consequences.

It may seem like an obvious tip, but if you are getting divorced, you should start keeping all of your money separate. This will allow you to keep track of what you own, and ensure that your former partner doesn’t get access to anything you worked hard for. If you’re not sure whether you need to open a new bank account, check out our guide to opening a joint checking account after a divorce. If you’re married, you should keep your personal finances separate from those of your spouse. That way, if divorce ever becomes an option, you won’t have to worry about what happens to your savings. If you’re not yet ready to leave your marriage, you might consider creating a joint checking account for yourself and your spouse. Then, when you both earn income, you can deposit all of it into the account. Once you’ve saved enough, you can transfer the funds to your own separate account.

If you still live together, it might be smart to move your mail somewhere else. If your spouse gets access to important documents, he or she might try to learn what you are planning. To protect yourself, you should consider moving your mail to a different location. It’s also smart to make sure that your mail isn’t intercepted by your spouse.

It may seem like a shock when you receive divorce papers, but there are steps you can take right away to avoid missing important deadlines. You should contact an experienced divorce lawyer as soon as you get the papers to help you understand what you need to do next, including filing a response to the petition. Schedule your appointment with an experienced divorce lawyer today.