I have been married for 17 years, however I have been seperated for 16?

Question

years and have a son whom is now 17 years old, my "wife" during the marriage had a child out of wed lock. We own no property jointly or seprately and I have heard that I can geta divorce without a lawyer. I have already sought legal aid, however they say that I make too much. Is there an easier method to the matter? I waited Please only reasonable and helpful replies are needed thank you.
And yes, I pay child support .

Answer 1

were you legally seperated?
you cannot file an uncontested divorce right off the bat...
for uncontested all 3 conditions must be met

1. marriage under 5 years
2. no children
3. no community assests

since you have 2 of the 3 condtions met, it is going to have to be a contested divorce...

as is she 's got you for at least 8 to 9 years of alimony, child support as the COURT sees fit ( this mean they may very well come after you for back child support )..

i hate to say you may your bed, noe you must lie in it, but you very well were foolish for never divorcing right off after the 1st year. there was simply no reason to stay legally married.

you can file your own paper work, she must be served, and it's a matter of family court ( and any attorney she might bring to bear ) to see how the mess plays out. google you stae divorce laws to see what other requirements you'll need, you only saving grace is that you more than likely live in a no fault state. BTW her having a child out of wedlock will not matter one bit for divorce in temrs of finacial reprocussions, thanks to the no fault clause, it might no even have bearing on child support issues or any custody rights. keep in mind most family courts are hostile to men and favor the women, indeed once you walk into there, you walk into the lions den... good luck.

Answer 2

Wow! that is along time to be married and separated. Unusual situation. You can get a divorce without a lawyer. Some paralegals can do it for you alot cheaper. Don't try to do this yourself, unless you understand the laws, you may get the paperwork involved, wrong, which can cost you in the long run. You might try finding a lawyer that gives free consultations. There are a few of them here and there.
Here is a forum for free advice. Beware though, the lawyers here do this for fun, but some can give you the correct answers you seek.
http://forum.freeadvice.com/showthread.php?t=185443
Good luck!

Answer 3

Get online and google divorce. There are tons of websites that help you do the proper paper work for the courts at a decent cost. Also, most of the clerk's offices have even more simple paper work that you can file. The cost via internet or directly with the clerk's office, at least around here, if about the same price. You could call your county clerk's office and ask the cost of filing for a divorce. Or, if your county has a web page, check there, as they will have information regarding the costs there as well.

Good luck.