File for Divorce in District of Columbia

Residency Constraint for Filing Divorce

For the divorce cases in Washington D.C. it is necessary that either of the party is the resident of the state. Otherwise, it is essential for the filer to be the resident here for at least 6 months before filing the divorce case

Valid Causes of Divorces in Washington D.C

If any of the two parties wants to get the divorce from the other, then it is obligatory that both the parties agree with the reasons of their divorce. Filer of the divorce case is required to come up with valid reason and defendant is supposed to agree with what filer has raised.

Guardianship of the Children

Who is going to be the custodian of the children is decided by the judge after the divorce case. Law for the child support in District of Columbia entails the following determinants:

Guidelines for Property Distribution

District of Columbia also has set of guidelines for the equal distribution of the property of the spouses. However, property acquired before the marriage, gifts, and inheritances remain with the real owner. Rest of the property that is acquired after or during the marriage is divided equally between both partners. However, courts have the rights to review the distribution if any unjust decision comes up with the equal distribution of the property.

Principles for the Spousal Support

Depending upon the conditions of the spouses, courts may provide the deserving spouse with the spousal support. This support can be temporary or for a limited time period until the receiver become able enough to pay for his/her expenses by itself. In this regard, education and skills of parties, occupation, chances of future employment, and financial needs are considered.

Guidelines for the Child Support

Courts in District of Columbia have the rights to order for the child support to any of the two persons. A judge may ask the non-custodian parent to pay for the whole amount of the total child support fund or its partial amount. However, a non-custodian may also ask for the reduction in the amount for his/her own financial obligations.

Mediation in Case of Divorce

Courts may allow the facility of mediation to the spouses if the custody of child becomes a serious issue.

Filing Pro Se Divorce

There is no need of a lawyer when applying for divorce in the state of District of Columbia. 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 District of Columbia, 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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