stuck in a loop with the courts and newspaper

[armper]

I'm doing a self divorce in maryland and I'm stuck in a loop. It's been going on for 3 months which is delaying my case.

My wife is missing so I am doing a notice of publication. I did the necessary forms to accomplish this, and the next step is that the court clerk sends a notification to the newspaper to publish it for 3 weeks.

The first time I did this step, the newspaper didn't run the ad because I didn't call to make the payment. Problem is, nobody told me that I must do this (I had called the clerk and she said I didn't have to do anything). The newspaper said they called me but they did not (I checked my phone records).

So what I had to do was write a motion to re-issue the publication order. So they did (which took 1.5 months).

After it was re-issues, guess what, the EXACT same thing happened again! They didn't call me. I did call them a week later and she said it was "too late" to pay and I will have to do the same thing again, to have it re-issued. I know it will take 1.5 more months for this to happen. The divorce case has already been going on for 9 months, this is getting ridiculous.

Has anyone else had this happen and had better luck? I'm filing pro-se divorce in Maryland--Anne Arundel county.

 

[Zigner]

I'm doing a self divorce in maryland and I'm stuck in a loop. It's been going on for 3 months which is delaying my case.

My wife is missing so I am doing a notice of publication. I did the necessary forms to accomplish this, and the next step is that the court clerk sends a notification to the newspaper to publish it for 3 weeks.

The first time I did this step, the newspaper didn't run the ad because I didn't call to make the payment. Problem is, nobody told me that I must do this (I had called the clerk and she said I didn't have to do anything). The newspaper said they called me but they did not (I checked my phone records).

So what I had to do was write a motion to re-issue the publication order. So they did (which took 1.5 months).

After it was re-issues, guess what, the EXACT same thing happened again! They didn't call me. I did call them a week later and she said it was "too late" to pay and I will have to do the same thing again, to have it re-issued. I know it will take 1.5 more months for this to happen. The divorce case has already been going on for 9 months, this is getting ridiculous.

Has anyone else had this happen and had better luck? I'm filing pro-se divorce in Maryland--Anne Arundel county.

Why don't you pay FIRST so there is a payment on file when the court sends it over?

 

[armper]

Why don't you pay FIRST so there is a payment on file when the court sends it over?

They won't take the payment until they get the fax from the court. It's stupid and ridiculous, I can't believe this is their normal process.

Edit: Holy cow, I just called the newspaper again and she will take my credit card info for me only. And she even told me she doesn't call everyone (since she gets so many per day).

Still, this leaves me wondering, is this what everyone does for their divorce? How do they normally arrange for payments? Why am I the only one getting stuck?? I shouldn't have to have this prepayment done.

The court clerk doesn't give me answers about this and neither does the "self help" lawyers there.

 

[Silverplum]

I'm doing a self divorce in maryland and I'm stuck in a loop. It's been going on for 3 months which is delaying my case.

My wife is missing so I am doing a notice of publication. I did the necessary forms to accomplish this, and the next step is that the court clerk sends a notification to the newspaper to publish it for 3 weeks.

The first time I did this step, the newspaper didn't run the ad because I didn't call to make the payment. Problem is, nobody told me that I must do this (I had called the clerk and she said I didn't have to do anything). The newspaper said they called me but they did not (I checked my phone records).

The court clerk can't say what the newspaper requires, only what the court is doing.

So what I had to do was write a motion to re-issue the publication order. So they did (which took 1.5 months).

After it was re-issues, guess what, the EXACT same thing happened again! They didn't call me. I did call them a week later and she said it was "too late" to pay and I will have to do the same thing again, to have it re-issued. I know it will take 1.5 more months for this to happen. The divorce case has already been going on for 9 months, this is getting ridiculous.

Has anyone else had this happen and had better luck? I'm filing pro-se divorce in Maryland--Anne Arundel county.

You're going to need to be more proactive, more "on top of" the process and the people in that process, if you want this to work. For example, call the newspaper every day and ask if they have received the faxed order, and offer payment.

 

[Silverplum]

They won't take the payment until they get the fax from the court. It's stupid and ridiculous, I can't believe this is their normal process.

Edit: Holy cow, I just called the newspaper again and she will take my credit card info for me only. And she even told me she doesn't call everyone (since she gets so many per day).

Still, this leaves me wondering, is this what everyone does for their divorce? How do they normally arrange for payments? Why am I the only one getting stuck?? I shouldn't have to have this prepayment done.

The court clerk doesn't give me answers about this and neither does the "self help" lawyers there.

The payment issue is solely involving the newspaper. It has nothing to do with the court.

And court clerks are prohibited by law from providing legal advice, or from guiding you through processes.

 

[armper]

The payment issue is solely involving the newspaper. It has nothing to do with the court.

And court clerks are prohibited by law from providing legal advice, or from guiding you through processes.

This is understood that they can't provide advice on how to proceed, but what about their own internal process? I.E. It is their process to fax to the newspaper (of their choosing by the way) and then I don't even know when this happens (I must check the website every day and hit refresh all the time).

They take 1.5 months to do this, so every day for 1 month I must check the website. To me this is ridiculous, there must be a window of about a few weeks to make the payment. I was late a week in the payment and they closed it out. I thought calling in around a week was proactive enough?

 

[Silverplum]

This is understood that they can't provide advice on how to proceed, but what about their own internal process? I.E. It is their process to fax to the newspaper (of their choosing by the way) and then I don't even know when this happens (I must check the website every day and hit refresh all the time).

They take 1.5 months to do this, so every day for 1 month I must check the website. To me this is ridiculous, there must be a window of about a few weeks to make the payment. I was late a week in the payment and they closed it out. I thought calling in around a week was proactive enough?

That's an issue to take up with your elected representatives. They will suggest raising taxes to pay for more employees to do the work of contacting each person who files a motion and letting them know what happened today with that motion. I'd agree.

 

[armper]

That's an issue to take up with your elected representatives. They will suggest raising taxes to pay for more employees to do the work of contacting each person who files a motion and letting them know what happened today with that motion. I'd agree.

Now I know why people complain about bureaucracies. It seems like more of a waste of resources that this is going to be the third time I re-motion to send the case to the newspaper for publication.

Should I get a lawyer involved? Will they help me in the middle of my case? It's been 9 months I want this done as soon as possible.

 

[Zigner]

Now I know why people complain about bureaucracies. It seems like more of a waste of resources that this is going to be the third time I re-motion to send the case to the newspaper for publication.

Should I get a lawyer involved? Will they help me in the middle of my case? It's been 9 months I want this done as soon as possible.

AGAIN

Pay the paper up front. Yeesh!

 

[Silverplum]

Now I know why people complain about bureaucracies. It seems like more of a waste of resources that this is going to be the third time I re-motion to send the case to the newspaper for publication.

Should I get a lawyer involved? Will they help me in the middle of my case? It's been 9 months I want this done as soon as possible.

You are the one who dropped the ball. You, solely.

An attorney would be happy to pick up your dropped ball, make calls on your behalf. It's not free.

 

[single317dad]

Still, this leaves me wondering, is this what everyone does for their divorce?

No. By far the vast majority of litigants effect service in some other way besides publication.