If you are intimidated by the thought of a long and contentious divorce with endless paperwork and multiple court appearances, you are probably hoping there is an easier way. Some divorces are so complex and contested that divorce litigation in court is the best chance at a fair outcome.

Most divorces, however, can be done through a simplified divorce procedure.

Spouses who agree on all issues in the divorce and who both acknowledge the grounds for the divorce is the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage can file for divorce through the simplified procedure.

One of the benefits of this procedure is that it requires very little administrative and court involvement. Both spouses must file a Joint Petition for Divorce and an Affidavit of Irretrievable Breakdown to acknowledge that it is a no-fault divorce.

Along with these, you will also have to submit a certified copy of the marriage certificate, a Separation Agreement signed by both of you and notarized, a certificate of absolute divorce for the registry, and financial statements. You will also need to pay any filing fees. These are the minimum required documents that must be filed with the court. You may need to submit more forms depending on the specifics of your case. If you have dependent children, you will need to file some documents pertaining to their care and custody and child support and provide proof of completion of a parenting education class. You will also need to submit additional forms if you need a fee waiver or need temporary orders prior to the final hearing.

You should heavily consider working with a Massachusetts divorce mediator if you want your divorce to be as simple as possible. The longer and more complicated a divorce is, the more time and money it will take. A skilled mediator can help facilitate productive negotiations between you and your spouse. An experienced mediator can also help you prepare your final divorce paperwork, saving you the cost and resources needed to hire an attorney to complete this step. Mediation is both cost and time efficient and, when successful, can simplify your divorce.

Do you have questions about the divorce process?

Mediation Advantage Services can help. Experienced in divorce mediation, Law Office of Polly Tatum can help you and your spouse divorce efficiently and with as little stress as possible. Based in historic Worcester with a satellite office in Northboro, MA, our firm serves all cities and towns throughout Massachusetts and Worcester County including, Auburn, Paxton, Leicester, Sutton, Grafton, Shrewsbury, Westboro, Northboro, Southboro, Holden, Sterling, Princeton, Worcester, Charlton, Millbury, Dudley, Spencer, Brookfield, Sudbury, Natick, Framingham, Hopkinton, Milford, Blackstone, Leominster, Fitchburg, Acton, Jefferson, Barre, Oakham, Cambridge, Newton, Marlboro, Lancaster, Bolton, and Hudson. Call our office at (508) 466-4734, fill out our online form, or email us at info@mediationadvantage.com today to schedule your Complimentary Mediation Success Planning Session. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter or download our free e-book for more information regarding divorce in Massachusetts.