It has long been displayed through television and other media that if you want to slow up a divorce or otherwise make it more difficult, all you need to do is put off signing the papers. However, while this is pretty good for causing a little tension on television, it is really only in your benefit if your spouse chooses not to sign the papers in reality.
In a divorce, there is a specific time limit in which the receiving spouse in a divorce must give their signature to divorce papers. This varies, but your lawyer will be able to tell you exactly how long that is in your area. If your spouse doesn’t answer the papers within the allotted time limit, essentially they are defaulting on the divorce. You will still need to go to court, but if you can prove you took all the proper steps and your spouse chose to ignore them, then the court will still grant the divorce. Essentially, they will grant everything you asked for in the divorce papers as well if this happens. So if your spouse chooses not to answer the papers, you can essentially take everything from them as being non-responsive is the same as a divorce being uncontested.
This means that if your spouse is threatening not to sign your divorce papers, there is really nothing for you to worry about. It is not like the law will demand you stay married until you both degree to end the marriage. Your soon-to-be ex-spouse’s noncompliance doesn’t mean you can’t dissolve your marriage, it just means you might have to wait a little bit longer to do so. If you are filing for divorce, even if your spouse seems compliant, contact us today. The Anderson Law Firm can help make sure you get the best possible results.
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this article does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. Please contact attorney Kirk Anderson for an initial consultation.