Many years of successfully completed legal cases on the dissolution of marriage demonstrate the clear advantages of the uncontested format of divorce proceedings. At the moment, no one has any doubts about the convenience and client-orientedness of this type of procedure. Today, this format is available in all American states, and Oklahoma is no exception.
Thousands of divorcing spouses understand the benefits of this type of process and strive to do whatever is necessary to qualify their case as uncontested. This article will discuss the key features of this type of marriage dissolution. It will also provide helpful tips if you are acting as a petitioner in your case and planning to file for divorce in Oklahoma.
Uncontested Divorce Key Features
An uncontested divorce is a form of a dissolution of a marriage in which an agreement is drawn up between the spouses at the initial stage. At the same time, the spouses’ desire to end their family life together is voluntary and mutual on both sides, and none of the terms of the agreement should cause discrepancies, disagreements, or mutual claims between the parties.
Such an agreement includes the following obligatory clauses: property division and its further distribution, including all family assets and debts, a preliminary assessment of joint movable and immovable property acquired in marriage, possible financial spousal support and other forms of mandatory regular payments from one of the partners, child custody, and parental rights.
This mutual pre-divorce agreement between the spouses is crucial for the progression of the case as uncontested. If even one of the clauses of this agreement causes conflicting opinions or doubts about the validity of a decision, the simplified format of your divorce proceedings will be in jeopardy.
An uncontested form of divorce does not have any special requirements, except for the parties’ mutual consent, just as it does not require specifying special grounds for divorce to initiate a lawsuit. An uncontested case is considered a no-fault divorce and provides spouses with the opportunity to partner with divorce companies and take advantage of online divorce.
If your case does not meet all the requirements for applying for an uncontested divorce, it could be referred for mandatory procedural consideration in court, and divorce attorneys will almost certainly have to be brought in. If you are sure that all the mandatory requirements have been met, you can initiate uncontested divorce proceedings yourself.
Several Steps for Filing a Divorce
Once your case is qualified as an uncontested one, you should get acquainted with the necessary steps before applying for the divorce. In an uncontested divorce, one of the parties acts as a petitioner and the other as a respondent. The petitioner takes responsibility for the divorce paperwork.
It is possible to complete the required divorce documents preparation in two ways. The first is entirely on your own (DIY preparation), and the other is with the cooperation of an online divorce documents preparation service. Both variants are acceptable for an uncontested case and more convenient than the traditional form of filing for divorce.
The state Court of Oklahoma requires certain forms to file for divorce. In the “do it yourself” type of process, the petitioner can download the forms from the court’s official website and complete them. The set of needed papers includes Entry of Appearance and Waiver of Service, Decree of Dissolution of Marriage, Custody Plan, Visitation Schedule, Child Support Computation, Qualified Domestic Relations Order, and other court injunctions.
Uncontested divorce in Oklahoma means that you can represent yourself in court without an attorney if both parties agree to sign the divorce documents. In order to file for divorce, it is required to take the Petition to a Notary Public and sign the Petition along with the Affidavit. It is also necessary to have the notary sign and notarize it. Then three copies of the notarized petition are sent to the court clerk in your county to be filed for divorce. After you have filed your Petition, you must wait a minimum of one business day before you can have your spouse sign the documents. It is a court rule in all counties in Oklahoma.
Filing for Divorce with the Help of Online Services
There are many advantages to filing divorce papers online in Oklahoma, and every client is chasing the best deals. Online divorce documents preparation services can provide the client with quality services without the need to contact an attorney or court representatives personally. But only uncontested cases can be managed this way.
So what is necessary for the successful implementation of your divorce over the internet? Start by choosing the online divorce website that suits you best. To do this, carefully study the description of the services provided and analyze what exactly you will receive and how much it will cost. Most sites charge a fixed fee for their services which you pay after you register your divorce case on the site.
Follow the step-by-step instructions, carefully answering all questions to ensure proper completion of the documents. Be extremely mindful when filling out contact information and personal data. Avoid spelling errors and typos by re-reading everything and double-checking information. Online services generate ready-made divorce papers based on the user’s information and the results of the completed survey.
After receiving your completed documents, check them over again, and edit if necessary. Print the documents (if received in electronic format), sign them in the presence of a notary, and file them with the local court. When you file, the state court will require a standard filing fee for your documents to be accepted. After that, it is just a matter of being patient and waiting for the final hearing and the Oklahoma state court’s resolution.
