Once a client has made the decision to proceed with divorce, they often have questions and concerns about the process. The first step is signing and filing a Complaint for Divorce in Court. After filing in Court, the filing party has up to 90 days to ‘serve’ their spouse. Service can be accomplished by (1) having a courier deliver the Complaint directly or (2) the spouse agreeing to accept the Complaint by signing an acknowledgment that s/he is in receipt. Either method is sufficient and a signature is not necessary if the Complaint is delivered through courier.
After receiving the Complaint (by courier or agreement) the spouse has 21 days to file a formal response, or Answer, to the Complaint in Court. Often times a spouse will hire an attorney during this time period.
After an Answer is filed, the parties may begin working towards resolution.