Printable Divorce Papers Pennsylvania
When spouses decide to file for divorce, they don’t often know they can do it with no legal assistance if they choose to. Agreeing to end the marriage amicably and getting an uncontested divorce is cheaper, faster, and less stressful for everyone, be it spouses or their children. All you need to do in this case is collect and file the divorce paperwork, serve your spouse, and attend the hearing if you have children.
Searching for PA courts divorce forms is perhaps the biggest challenge of uncontested marriage dissolution without a lawyer. There are many different documents that may be required, and it is necessary to figure out which ones are right for your divorce.
Forms for Uncontested Divorce in Pennsylvania
You can get free divorce papers in PA relatively easily, as they are usually provided on the court’s official website. However, as each case requires a specific number and types of forms, it might be hard to choose them correctly. For example, if you have children, you need to make sure you have found all the child-related forms. If your file an incomplete set of documents, you won’t be able to start the court process.
Some PDF forms for filing for divorce in PA include but are not limited to:
- Affidavit of Non-Military Service
- Affidavit Under Section 3301(d)
- Certificate of Service
- Counter-Affidavit Under Section 3301(d)
- Divorce Decree
- Notice of Intention to File the Praecipe to Transmit Record
- Notice to Defend and Complaint for Divorce
- Praecipe to Reinstate the Complaint
- Praecipe to Transmit Record
- Self Represented Party Entry of Appearance
- Waiver of Notice
Please note that these are not all the documents that you will need to initiate or finalize your marriage dissolution. Besides, you might not need all of it either. There is more paperwork related to such issues as finances, child custody and support, property division, and any additional matters you would like the court to issue orders for.
How to Get Divorce Papers?
There are 3 ways to obtain divorce papers in Pennsylvania:
- Hire a lawyer who does all the work.They will have your paperwork prepared in full so that you don’t have to spend time searching and filling it out. However, the average price of an attorney in PA is $250 per hour, which is a factor that discourages many couples from working with a lawyer.
- Find PA divorce papers online.Even though you can find them rather quickly, filling them out won’t be so. You have to be incredibly attentive and careful while doing it because any mistake, even a small one, might prevent you from filing or finishing the divorce process. Working with legal documents is not as easy as it seems, which is why lawyers charge so much for it.
- Work with an online divorce provider.This is a perfect option for couples who cannot afford to hire a lawyer and do not have the time or resources to search for paperwork on their own. Our company has been helping such couples for more than a decade now. For only $139, you will receive a complete package of personalized forms filled out for you and ready to be filed based on our guide you’ll also get.
What Happens if Spouse Doesn’t Sign Divorce Papers in Pennsylvania?
As soon as you file Pennsylvania divorce forms with the court, you will need to complete a process of service. This is an official notification of your spouse that you have initiated a marriage dissolution process. In PA, the copies of the papers can be served on your spouse by a sheriff, a trusted person who is over 18 years, a professional process server, or by you through the mail. The second party then should sign and file the Answer.
What happens if they refuse to sign the divorce papers? Your marriage dissolution can be finalized anyway.
- The first option is to get an uncontested divorce based on separation. There are two no-fault grounds in PA: by mutual consent or due to the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. In the second case, you will need to live separately from each other for at least a year, and after that, the signature of the second spouse will not be required.
- The second way to get a divorce without the second party signing the papers is to file based on fault grounds. There are 6 grounds for dissolution in PA: desertion, adultery, cruel treatment, bigamy, imprisonment, and indignities. Having proven one of those misconducts, a spouse can get the case finalized without their spouse’s signature on the paperwork. However, this kind of divorce is much more stressful, longer, and more expensive.
Getting forms online is much more affordable than hiring a lawyer since the flat fee we charge is less than the 1-hour rate of any family law attorney. We have no hidden fees and do not charge for extra paperwork.