Claws said:
I am from Illinois. My friend is separated from his wife and recently, he started receiving papers from his wife and the state of montana, where she is from, outlining a child support agreement and property division. she had told him that he would be getting the divorce papers. are these really divorce papers? the bottom of the papers say something about self-represented litigants or something like that. they are from the courthouse and have been notarized. can you really get a divorce in this way? if he agrees with everything the papers state and he signs the papers, is he going to be legally divorced? This all just seems way too easy!
My response:
Divorces are relatively easy to obtain in the United States when two people can agree on all issues; e.g., property division, child issues, etc.
When two people live in two different States, how difficult would you like it to be? Was your friend expecting the mailperson to perform a colonoscopy examination on him, and then deliver the papers?
Litigants can represent themselves, and do, all the time. Look, if your friend still has any doubts, have him see a local attorney for a quick review of the papers - - because we can't see the papers.
Just remember, your friend MUST receive a copy of the "Final Decree" of divorce BEFORE he can consider himself divorced. Without that piece of paper in his hands, he'll still be married.
IAAL
