What documents are prepared to start a divorce?
A Summons and Petition must be prepared and properly signed. The Summons merely states the case name (the parties’ names), specifies the Court (the local District Court where the parties reside is most common), states there is a 30 day period within which action must be taken. There are also several notifications, including the notification that neither spouse is to sell or dispose of assets, change insurance, etc. The Petition is a document which contains names, ages, birth dates, etc., for the family. It is a kind of “non-adversarial” document which states in general terms that there has been an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage relationship, and indicates what relief is requested.
