osvaldo said:
I got married on DEC 19, 1996. on JAN 17, 1997, mmy wife and separated even thoughwe never lived together. She has taken off and I have never been able to locate her. I am currently filing a petition for divorce. What can I do to speed up the proceedings. I have done search through telephone company and the internet.
Please, Help,
Eager to be Free
My response:
Are you acting as your own attorney in this matter ("In Propria Persona") ?
If you are, you'll need to obtain an Order from the court to allow you to have the Petition published in a newspaper of General Circulation, nearest to where you last knew her to reside.
Unfortunately, this procedure is required for Due Process reasons, is quite complicated, and expensive. You really should enlist the assistance of an attorney. However, if it's just a matter of preparing the paperwork, you can locate a "Paralegal Service" in your Yellow Pages to prepare the appropriate Motion to the court, the Proposed Orders, and handle the publication procedures. It's cheaper to use a paralegal; but, be aware that a paralegal CANNOT advise you on the law . . . so, don't even bother asking for advice.
Good luck to you.
IAAL
