I have been married for 15 years, seperated for 10. Can I do a divorce on my own for cheap?

Question

I HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR 15 YRS. SEPERATED FOR 10 OF THEM. UNTIL RECENTLY I DID NOT KNOW WHERE MY HUSBAND WAS. I HAVE JUST FOUND OUT THAT HE HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF JAIL AND THAT HE IS CURRENTLY LIVING UNDER A BRIDGE AND IS HEAVILY INVOVLED IN DRUGS. I HAVE 2 CHILDREN WITH THIS MAN 17 & 13. EVEN THE DA HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO COLLECT CHILD SUPPORT, OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE OF HIM HAVING NO ADDRESS OR JOB. I JUST WANT A DIVORCE AND DO NOT WANT TO PAY A FORTUNE FOR IT BUT FURTHERMORE I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DIVORCE SOMEONE THAT HAS NO ADDRESS OR JOB...CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME.......PLEASE

Answer 1

See if you can contact the Legal Aid Department and ask them if they can assist. Normally, you could get a divorce kit, but your husband would have to sign it and I wouldn't go there. Because of the situation with him on drugs and homeless, I believe there are programs out there to assist. Good Luck!

Answer 2

Wow. THAT is a sticky situation. First and foremost, my condolences about this situation.

Getting down to brass tacks, I think it might be inevitable that you're gonna have to find this man and present him with some papers so that he is "In the know" that he is being divorced. Shouldn't be a big deal, seeing that he already is technically "Already there." Contact your local courthouse where you can talk to the County Clerk and say, "Look. I've got a husband, we're separated, and I just want it to be over with. I'd like a divorce, where can I go from here..." The guy sounds like he doesn't have it all together and I hate to say it, but even if you put out something that makes him pay child support, with back pay or not, you're not going to get it, and it's only going to make you more miserable looking in the mailbox with it not being there anyway. I say talk to the county, find him, and serve him with divorce papers. Be done! And good luck on this. Hope it helped you out.

Answer 3

Wow, this is a hard one. Obviously, you have talked to a district attorney. However, I understand your financial distress. You have to take care of two children and make ends meet. Just getting ahold of him to provide an address is going to be pain.

Depending on the state where you live, you could apply for a "Pro Se" divorce, which means you do the paperwork yourself. All you'll have to pay are filing fees and a fee to have the summons delivered. This is where it gets tricky.

Here's the deal. I have a friend whose ex-wife had their divorce papers delivered to her address while they were separated. Maybe you can do this, find him under his bridge and have him sign it. I wouldn't advise forgery. The estranged spouse has so many weeks to respond to the summons, when they don't the divorce becomes final.

I did a pro se divorce, the only thing I didn't like was that my ex husband was able to get information I didn't want him to have.

Answer 4

you should of done that already --- go file for divorce --- they'll run an ad in the paper - after a period of time ---(2 months?) you get divorce papers..... based on abandonment --- it could be different now but that's how it was done many years ago.

Answer 5

I've done that same thing. Contact a lawyer out of the phone book, tell them you situation and they will help you. It will be just fine

Answer 6

I think you might be able to get a divorce kit at your local stationary store. Check it out. It might be worth it.

Answer 7

yes, sue, have papers served (they can't be if there is no known address) the divorce will be uncontested, and you will be single...why have you waited so long??? Good luck

Answer 8

Talk to a lawyer that is the only way you can find your answer.

Answer 9

look around for a good attorney!!!!! dont go for the lowest price I did that and I paid him for years ( he didn't work and had an alcohol problem ) GET A GOOD ATTORNEY