How To File For Divorce Without A Lawyer

Written by Ms Beatrice Yeo Poh Tiang, Yeo & Associates LLC

Almost every divorcing couple hope for an uncontested divorce as it can save you a bit of money as you do not need to go through the long litigation process to fight for assets, child custody and etc. However, easier said than done, a full agreement between the parties involves painstaking decision-making process which must be workable and legally binding, not forgetting that both parties must opine your terms of settlement as being reasonable and fair to him/her. Before you embark in proposing your terms (which you feel is reasonable and fair in your eyes), you ought to be aware whether your terms would be deemed to be fair to the other side for him/her to accept without further considerations.

In fact if one is ambitious to take on the process on his/her own, a lawyer may not be needed, although you may consider spending a small fee for comprehensive legal consultation (as opposed to many “free legal consultation” which includes merely information of the general procedure and costs). If this is the case, the best bet is to proceed with the divorce by doing your own research. This can include the paperwork that is needed for the divorce, itself. Additionally, an uncontested division of assets should also include legal stipulation in order to avoid any problems in the future. Still, however, you need to consider all that’s involved with filing a divorce without a lawyer. You may refer to the Do-It-Yourself divorce website like www.divorcebureau.com.sg which include step-by-step guidance to file your divorce proceedings.

Taking care of your own divorce may sound simple but, in actuality, it can become exceptionally complicated when you have to complete the paperwork, file the documents and pay the subsequent fees all on your own. In the event that you write the content wrongly or that you file wrongly, you may still be required to approach a divorce lawyer to “clear up your mess”. When that happens, you will most likely incur two sets of costs- one for rectification, another for re-filing.

For a start, the basic fees to start a divorce proceedings include:

• $42 for the Writ of Divorce
• $7 for the Statement of Claim
• $7 for Statement of Particulars
• $35 for entering any judgment or order
• $14 for the Final Judgment for Divorce

You will need to file the documents through the Elitigation at CrimsonLogic Service Bureau. Visit eLitigation.sg for the copy of filing templates for divorce.

You should also consider the amount of time and complications that will be involved when you file for divorce without a lawyer and handle all of the details yourself. By seeking the professional services of a divorce lawyer, all of these time consuming activities are accomplished for you with an ease of mind. But the one major thing to consider is that if there is to be any litigation involved due to a disagreement, representing yourself is not considered a good idea. This type of litigation can extend over a period of years and may also end up in an unfair settlement. So hiring a qualified divorce lawyer can be the best decision.

SUBMIT YOUR DETAILS AND REQUIREMENTS IN THE FORM TO ARRANGE FOR A CONSULTATION WITH A DIVORCE LAWYER.

Find out if you have a ground to proceed for divorce here.

(the fees stated in this article are correct at the time of publishing)