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Obtaining an legal divorce document

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Flyy

Junior Member
My husband and I filed a no fault divorce. No arguing, all neat and clean. We signed the papers March 1st and our lawyer filed everything right after (or so we were told). Didn't hear anything from my laywer for over 2.5 months, until I decided to email him asking if there was any news. He said nothing yet. Two weeks later I sent him an email again, this time I got a response:

Hey (my name):

Good news... You're divorced!

I hadn't checked in with you before because nothing came in. And, in fact, my assistant went to Supreme Court last week and there was still no update. But I just checked the system now after receiving your email and, yup, it's done!

So now we have to go there and get the official certificate."

Another two weeks had gone bone, didn't hear anything from him again. Sent him yet another email, asking if I can come and pick up my divorce certificate. Here's the response he sent:

"Hey (my name).

The latest hold-up is a delay that's out of our control. The office at the Supreme Court that oversees all matrimonial cases is moving from one part of the building to another. My paralegal went by there the previous week and waited two hours for your divorce judgment (as well as a couple of others) only to be told that they currently couldn't locate your file and to come back next week.

To be fair, I *did* warn you from the beginning that divorce cases were currently proceeding a lot slower than they were before. (Of course, that was without knowing of the current debacle.) I don't think I've ever made any statements trying to raise your expectations in that particular regard. But, having said that, I do know that this is a frustrating process and that you probably don't feel like you have any control over anything. Trust me when I say that I have no desire to make you wait a single day longer than you have to.

Anyway, you're officially divorced now."

I'm writing this yet another two weeks later, as I still don't have my divorce certificate. Is this a common thing? Is it really hard to obtain this document? I have another case on hold because of this, and it's causing me a lot of problems. Is there any other way I can get hold of my divorce documents, since, according to my lawyer, I've been officially divorced now for over a month?

Thank you for your help. I live in New York City, if that makes a difference.
 


tuffbrk

Senior Member
I'd recommend that you check with the courthouse yourself. You should have a copy of the papers that you had signed that would include your docket number, etc. You can also check the NY court website to see if they post anything online that you can check using your SSn and/or docket number.
 

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