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File For Divorce in Katy
When you have decided to get a divorce, the first step is to file. When you file your Petition for Divorce, you officially announce that you intend to divorce your spouse.
Filing Requirements in Katy
There are two parties to every divorce: the Petitioner and the Respondent. The person filing the petition is the Petitioner, and the person being served is the Respondent. The Petition for Divorce is legally served to the Respondent after it is filed.
In most situations, the Respondent will be served with a Citation, the Petition for Divorce, and any other papers filed by the Petitioner and orders signed by the judge. If the Respondent is not easy to access – perhaps they are out of the country or have left town, and no one can locate them – other options ensure that the process is completed legally.
After the Respondent has been served, they have about three weeks (the Monday after 20 days have passed) to file a response with the court. That means there is plenty of time to retain a Katy divorce attorney.
There are three primary options for a Respondent. They can file an answer, file a counter-petition for divorce, or do nothing. By doing nothing, the Respondent allows the Petitioner to finish the divorce without them and would not have any say in decisions about assets or child custody.
Both parties to the divorce have a responsibility in the filing phase, but the divorce can move forward even if the Respondent refuses to respond. That means that no one can force someone to remain married if they desire a divorce.
There are many ways that a divorce can be complicated. If you have many commingled assets, like a house, a business, or retirement accounts, you want to make sure things are equitable. If you have a child, you want to make sure that child support and custody are sorted out in court with the help of a child custody attorney. If either of you needs alimony, you will want to work with a lawyer. If you are looking for a lawyer in Katy or surrounding areas such as Houston, or Tomball to help with these concerns, you have come to the right place.