HOW CAN I START A DIVORCE ACTION AND IS IT NECESSARY TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY TO COMMENCE DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS?
In most states, a divorce is started by one spouse (the plaintiff) filing a divorce complaint against the other (the defendant). There is no actual requirement that one must retain an attorney to file a divorce. However, the amount of paperwork associated with filing a divorce is such that without a legal representative, one cannot easily comply with the statutes. Therefore, one might wish to contact the Family Court of the county in which one resides and inquire whether there is a local requirement that one have a lawyer. If not, telephone your local Bar Association and ask whether it has a form book for the various stages of a divorce, in order to determine what steps are necessary to proceed with a divorce action. The telephone numbers for these organizations can be found in the blue pages of your local telephone book.
