Filing of Divorce Forms
There are two (potentially three) components of your divorce paperwork.
The first component, the Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA), is prepared by Matthew. The MSA contains the details of all the agreements that the clients have reached in mediation. Every aspect of financial support, property division, debt division, child custody, parenting time schedules, tax obligations, and all other issues discussed and settled in mediation will be included in that comprehensive report, which is usually 20 to 40 double-spaced pages in length.
The second component is the set of forms submitted to the county courthouse in your county when you file (or finalize) your divorce. As your mediator, Matthew does not complete those forms himself. You have several options, but Matthew recommends hiring the independent paralegal with whom he has worked for many years. She charges $250 (effective March 1, 2022) and has done outstanding work for Matthew's clients since 2013.
The third component is called a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO), which will apply in your case if you divide an employer-based retirement plan such as a 401(k) or 403(b). A QDRO is not necessary in every case; it will depend on how the final property settlement splits your assets.
The first component, the Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA), is prepared by Matthew. The MSA contains the details of all the agreements that the clients have reached in mediation. Every aspect of financial support, property division, debt division, child custody, parenting time schedules, tax obligations, and all other issues discussed and settled in mediation will be included in that comprehensive report, which is usually 20 to 40 double-spaced pages in length.
The second component is the set of forms submitted to the county courthouse in your county when you file (or finalize) your divorce. As your mediator, Matthew does not complete those forms himself. You have several options, but Matthew recommends hiring the independent paralegal with whom he has worked for many years. She charges $250 (effective March 1, 2022) and has done outstanding work for Matthew's clients since 2013.
The third component is called a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO), which will apply in your case if you divide an employer-based retirement plan such as a 401(k) or 403(b). A QDRO is not necessary in every case; it will depend on how the final property settlement splits your assets.