Divorces are often associated with a lot of paperwork. And if such matters as alimony, property division, or child custody are involved, it may take extra time and effort to document it properly. Years ago, that might’ve been a serious problem, but now, the situation has changed. Modern couples have opportunities, such as online divorce or e-filing, which make some aspects of the dissolution of the marriage easier.
Grounds for Divorce in Connecticut
Before you begin preparing your divorce forms, it is essential to learn about the grounds for divorce in Connecticut. In this state, you can have a no-fault or a fault-based divorce. Let’s talk about each.
Uncontested Divorce in Connecticut
Just like many other states, Connecticut offers its residents to have an uncontested divorce. In this case, filing for divorce happens after spouses have agreed upon a number of matters regarding their divorce. If you want to avoid a fault-based divorce, there are two available options for you in Connecticut:
- Claiming your marriage is irretrievably broken. Even if it seems that there’s no way to prove that the marriage is absolutely damaged, it is usually a valid enough reason for a judge.
- Asking for divorce based on separation. If you and your spouse have lived separately from each other for over 18 months before you apply for divorce, it is a valid enough reason to grant you one.
You should also keep in mind that uncontested divorce doesn’t equal a no-fault one. Stating the ground for the divorce is only one step of the process. Eventually, you might face the necessity to deal with plenty of other legal issues.
Contested Divorce in Connecticut
Another option for those who want to end their marriage is a contested divorce. In Connecticut, you can use any of the following grounds for it:
- Adultery;
- One of the spouses hiding important information before getting married (for example, drug addiction);
- One of the spouses had neglected their duties and left the other for at least a year;
- A minimum of 7 years of absence of one of the spouses without any notice or communication;
- Regular drunkenness;
- Extreme cruelty;
- Imprisonment of one of the spouses;
- Mental illness of one of the spouses resulting in them being put in a medical institution for over 5 years.
When starting one of the aforementioned grounds, the spouse must provide evidence of the action that led to the marriage failure.
Preparing the Divorce Papers Online: How-To
Nowadays, not every couple has the money or will to hire a lawyer to assist them in divorce documents preparation. Suppose the couple has previously agreed on all important matters regarding the divorce, such as spousal support. In this situation, they can try and have a divorce over the internet. This term has nothing to do with actually ending a marriage online. Online or web divorce is a way of completing the required paperwork with an online divorce companies’ assistance, for example, one of them is connecticutonlinedivorce.com.
These DIY divorce services can significantly cut the cost of the divorce and are very easy to use. You will only be asked to provide information about your case, yourself, your marriage, and your divorce. The system will use your answers to select and complete the necessary paperwork for you, following a short waiting period, which usually lasts no longer than a few business days. Remember that any mistake that might eventually occur – will be on you in this case, so check the information carefully before submitting it.
Pay attention to choose the right service. There are many scams out there to avoid. Always read the terms of use of any internet divorce service before paying money.
How to File the Divorce Documents in Connecticut
In Connecticut, you have to personally bring your documents to the court’s clerk instead of sending an application for divorce online. The spouse that submits the documents is the petitioner, and the other spouse is the respondent. You will also be required to pay some filing fees when the clerk accepts your papers. Later you’ll be given a case number. According to the law, you’ll have to use it to add any other documents to your file.
The clerk will also tell you whether the judge will see your application immediately or you’ll have to wait for a few days. After the judge looks through your documents, you’ll receive the originals to be able to serve them to your spouse.
Serving Divorce Documents to Your Spouse
One of the main requirements of the divorce process is serving the documents to your spouse. In this situation, you have a few options to choose from. The first one is to do it yourself. If you’re in a good relationship with your ex, you can personally deliver the documents, especially if you’re going through this process without an attorney.
Another way to serve the documents is by contacting the state marshal. You can get a list of all state marshals from the court clerk. This option might not be as inexpensive as the previous one. Such services require a small fee. You will also need to make sure that the marshal can deliver the documents no later than 12 days before the return date. After the marshal serves the documents to your spouse, they can either return the originals to you or personally file them with the court for further proceedings.
Final Thoughts
Getting a divorce can be quite a rollercoaster sometimes. Luckily, there are now ways to do it faster and more affordable. Ellen Pierson says that By deciding to complete divorce online (or at least some steps of it), you’ll be able to get this over with as quickly as possible and get back to filling your life with happiness.
