File for Divorce in Maine

Information regarding filing for divorce in the State of Maine is given below:

Condition for Residency

When filing for divorce in Maine, one of the two must reside in, or the grounds/ reasons for divorce should have taken place in Maine. Or, one of the spouses should be resident of Maine for a minimum of 6 months. Any one of the spouses can file for divorce in the District Courts of the county in which they live, but the other spouse will have the right to get the proceedings relocated to Superior Courts.

Reasons for the Divorces

The grounds for filing for the divorces can be both no-fault and general. Reasons for divorce in Maine can include:

Principle of Child Custody

There are three types of custodies granted in Maine, based on the best interests of the minor. All responsibilities, concerning the child's welfare, are divided; either all to one parent, or proportionately. These responsibilities include home, support, education, health care, religious and moral upbringing and parent child contact. Parents are required to inform the other parent about any major changes. Either one parent can have exclusive responsibilities or both can share responsibilities and make joint decisions.

Major factors to be taken under consideration when making this decision of custody include the following:

Rules for Property Distribution

The state of Maine is one of "equitable distribution". Each of the spouses will be able to maintain any of their individual properties, including any inheritance or gifts and any property bought before the marriage took place. Any marital property acquired after marriage will be divided on the basis of the following factors:

Rules for Spousal Support

Any one spouse may be ordered to pay a sufficient alimony to the other partner. In some cases, the other partner's property might be given to the partner to be paid alimony to. In some cases, the spouse may also be awarded transitional support for short term needs. There are many factors that this decision depends on, including length or marriage, age of the spouses and their financial and vocational conditions.

Child Support Guidelines

One or both parents may be ordered to pay child support. This support may include child's health insurance costs. The guidelines for support are included in The Official Child Support Guidelines. There are certain reasons for deviating from these guidelines, such as the following:

Mediation In Case Of Divorce

If one of the spouses declares that there are no irreconcilable differences, or if the divorce is challenged and children are involved, meditation and counseling are a must in Maine.

Filing Pro Se Divorce

There is no need of a lawyer when applying for divorce in the state of Maine. A divorce case which is filed without any help of an attorney in any of the states is known as Pro Se Divorce.

Literally, Pro Se is a Latin phrase and it means "on her or his own". Process of getting the divorce without the help of lawyer may vary from one State to another. These types of divorces are perfectly legal and enforceable in Maine, and are actually very convenient. Usually, once settlements have been made regarding property distribution and custody matters among the spouses in case of a mutual divorce, Pro Se Divorces are filed.

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