When you decide to get a divorce, first step, of course is to file divorce papers. Some States require that you or your spouse meet the residency requirement in the State in order to determing who have jurisdiction over your divorce proceedings. The time you need to qualify as a resident of the State to be able to file for divorce in that State varies from State to State and you will need to check if you meet the residency requirements that State impose. Once you verify that you meet residency requirements and jurisdiction is determined, you will need to complete the divorce petition.
This document contains the names of the divorcees (including all your minor children), how you decide the division of property, matters of child custody and child support as well as and any other material information which is relevant to the divorce and will be a basis for a family judge to make a decision.
Once you file, a copy of the petition is served on your spouse. Getting the petition started and filing of papers may be complicated, this is why many people choose to have a lawyer to handle the process.
