Marriage is an elegant and charming relationship between two parties. During this sacred bond, both parties strive to have a happy future with the person they love. In this world, it is not easy to find your perfect match, so being in a marriage that works can make you the luckiest person in the world. But unfortunately, not every marriage succeeds. Some marriages become a headache and can make your life a living hell. It becomes impossible to spend the rest of your life in this painful torment. In such a case, there is only one way to be free from this miserable life. And that is divorce.
It is always much easier to get involved in a marital agreement than it is to get out of one. Divorce comes with lots of challenges and obstacles. But remember, it is a necessary step to end the marital agreement and return to a happy life.
How difficult is divorce?
Most people associate divorce with expensive attorneys and a long, ugly, exhausting court battle. Even thinking about divorce can make you feel dizzy. And when it comes to contested divorce, you are not too far off. If both spouses are not able to swallow their pride and negotiation on good terms, you could end up spending a year or more fighting in court with a vengeful spouse while your finances are sucked dry.
That is why it is always best to seek an amicable solution with your spouse. If both sides know that there is no hope for the marriage and the only way forward is divorce, they should look ahead to the future and put bad feelings aside long enough to come to an agreement with their spouse to have an uncontested divorce.
Uncontested divorce
Uncontested Divorce is when both the parties are in agreement about ending the marriage and are able to sit down together and come to an agreement on all terms of the divorce procedure. This would include division of property, assets, and debt, spousal and/or child maintenance, and child custody and visitation rights. If the spouses can come to a compromise on the issues related to their dissolution of their marriage, they can have an uncontested divorce.
The advantage of this procedure is that both parties save time and money and do not have to go to court. They will even have the option to proceed without attorneys and do the whole divorce process on their own (a DIY divorce). The most complicated part of an uncontested divorce is usually the paperwork, and for couples that don’t want to deal with the hassle of paperwork, they can delegate this task to an online divorce service for a very affordable price.
Divorce process
Before initiating a divorce, you must make sure that you meet the state residency requirements. In Arizona, one of the parties must have been a resident of the state of Arizona for at least 90 days before a petition for divorce can be filed.
To initiate a divorce in Arizona, one of the spouses (known as the Petitioner) files a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with the clerk of the Superior Court and pays the mandatory filing fee. If you cannot afford the filing fee you may apply to have the fee waived by completing an Application for Deferral of Filing Fee.
The Petitioner will then have to serve the other spouse (known as the Respondent) with a copy of the petition and summons. The other spouse will have 20 days from the date of service to file a written response with the court. If they do not file a response within the required time frame the divorce will move forward as a default divorce. In such a case, the court may grant the requests of the Petitioner and sign the Divorce Decree ending the marriage.
If the Respondent doesn’t consent to the divorce or certain terms of the divorce the case will go to court. In such a case it is recommended that the spouses hire attorneys to preserve their best interests. In any case, the court will encourage both sides to reach a mutual agreement on the terms of their divorce sometimes even directing the parents to meet with trained professionals in mediation to negotiate a solution to issues. If an agreement can’t be reached the court has the authority to decide any issues including child custody and the division of assets.
For couples that are in agreement about getting a divorce and can come to an agreement on their own (an uncontested divorce). They must put the terms of their agreement in writing and submit the settlement agreement to the court. Under Arizona state law a divorce cannot be granted until at least 60 days has passed. This mandatory waiting period starts once the Respondent is served in the case. Once the mandatory 60 day waiting period is over, the judge will require the spouses to attend a court hearing. The hearing is informal and is just used for the judge to go over your settlement agreement. If everything looks good, the judge will sign the Divorce Decree ending the marriage.
Divorce papers
All divorce in Arizona are available free of charge in Self-Service Centers for the Superior Court and on the Arizona Supreme Court website.
The basic documents needed when filing a Divorce Petition include:
- Summons – Informs the other spouse that the divorce has been filed
- Preliminary Injunction – Stops both spouses from performing certain actions regarding money, property, insurance, and children while the case is active
- Right to Convert Health Insurance
- Notice to Creditors – Advises you and your spouse about your rights and responsibilities regarding debts acquired during the marriage
- Family Court/Domestics relations Cover Sheet – Gives information regarding you and your spouse
If you have children, you will also have to file an Affidavit Regarding Minor Children and a Parent Information Program.
Cost of divorce
The price of your divorce will depend on a number of factors, the most significant of which is the type of divorce. For a contested divorce that goes to trial, each spouse can expect to pay an average of $15,000 and as much as $35,000 or more. This is largely due to the cost of an attorney what often charges between $300 – $700 per hour. The longer your case lasts the more expensive it will get.
Uncontested divorces are much cheaper. For an uncontested divorce the attorney usually charges a flat rate of between $1500 – $2500.
In complicated uncontested divorce cases there could be additional expenses if a financial expert is needed or assistance is needed with negotiating the terms of the settlement agreement.
For simpler uncontested cases, a couple could forego legal representation and professional assistance all together and do the entire procedure on their own (known as a DIY divorce). In this type of divorce the only cost would be the mandatory filing fee charged by the Arizona Superior court.
For couples that want the cheap option of a DIY divorce, but don’t want to deal with the hassle of the paperwork, an Online Divorce is perfect.
Online divorce
For couples that have agreed to an uncontested divorce that need help with completing their divorce forms but don’t want to hire a lawyer, using an online divorce service is a fast and inexpensive option. Online divorce companies exist to simplify the divorce paperwork process. The site will have you complete a questionnaire about the details of your case. After completing the questionnaire, the online divorce company will prepare your forms based on the information you provided. Most companies will have your completed divorce paperwork packet ready for you in around 2 – 3 business days. You print them, sign and notarize them, and file them with the court.
A conservative estimate of online divorce filing fees in Arizona is between $139 and $400. When deciding on an online service, it is also important to consider their experience and reputation in the business. Companies that have been around a long time with lots of satisfied customers tend to be the most reliable.
Apply for divorce
If you want to get a quick and fast divorce through the internet without an attorney then the easiest way is to turn on your internet and click on this link. Answer a few simple questions about your divorces and that’s it. Your forms will be ready in 2 – 3 business days.
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