how do I find out if a divorce is legal

[judyindaskyz]

Pennsylvania

My fiance was divorced last year. He showed me the divorce decree and it says on there that even though the seal is not a raised & colored one that it is still legal. Why would any legitimate lawyer put a questionable seal on a document that carries this much importance? What I'd like to find out is if the divorce is considered a legal one and if the lawyer is a legitimate one. He used someone his sister found in the classified section of their local paper and advertised a low price. I think he said it cost him less than $200.

This might be a weird question, but I don't like the thought of bigamy. I'm trying to make absolutely sure he is legally divorced before we get married.

Thanks!!

[Edited by judyindaskyz on 02-20-2001 at 12:23 AM]

 

[ALawyer]

If you have a copy of the divorce decree, or at least know the court which supposedly issued it, and know the names and approximate date, you can go to the courthouse and ask the clerk to let you look at the publc file and/or docket book to satisfy yourself a judgment or decree or order of divorce was issued. Not all courts have fancy seals. But trust your suspicions.

One question. If you do not completely trust your potential spouse, why would you want to be getting married to him?

 

[judyindaskyz]

From reading the other responses to posts, I was a bit skeptical about posting here. And I was obviously correct in my feeling!

Why on earth would you think I don't trust my fiance? It's the lawyer I'm questioning here - not my intended. Why they would use a questionable seal on something of such great importance. I would think they'd use a seal that people would recognize as being legit. Obviously some people have questioned it or they wouldn't have bothered to put that statement in the paperwork. And if that were the case, I'd expect that they'd have had it changed to avoid the issue entirely.

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

From reading the other responses to posts, I was a bit skeptical about posting here. And I was obviously correct in my feeling!

Why on earth would you think I don't trust my fiance? It's the lawyer I'm questioning here - not my intended. Why they would use a questionable seal on something of such great importance. I would think they'd use a seal that people would recognize as being legit. Obviously some people have questioned it or they wouldn't have bothered to put that statement in the paperwork. And if that were the case, I'd expect that they'd have had it changed to avoid the issue entirely.

My response:

Oooooooooooooh, ALawyer !!

See what happens when you come over to play on my playground ?

You get your hand slapped, that's what !

IAAL