Online Divorce in Mississippi

Those spouses looking for a quick and legit way to handle their filing process for an affordable price should consider Mississippi Online Divorce.

Online divorce can become an irreplaceable alternative to the costly services of a law firm. Why? See for yourself!

How to qualify for an online divorce?

To qualify for an online divorce, spouses should resolve all their divorce-related issues and outline them in a Marital Settlement Agreement. This way, they will proceed with an uncontested divorce and be eligible for our online divorce service.

The Marital Settlement Agreement should cover the following issues: child custody, child support, visitation, spousal support (alimony), marital property division, etc.

For an uncontested divorce, Mississippi courts provide the following legal forms:

To complete the divorce forms on their own the spouse initiating the case (the plaintiff) needs to take the following steps:

1. Blank divorce forms can be obtained in Chancery Court Clerk's office or on the State of Mississippi Judiciary website. To choose the relevant packet of documents, first, it is worth considering different divorce options. Mississippi laws allow filing for a regular or simplified divorce, so different legal forms are required.

For example, if both spouses are ready to have a no-fault divorce based on irreconcilable differences and have reached a Settlement Agreement, they must complete and sign a Joint Complaint for Absolute Divorce. If filing for divorce as sole petitioner, the spouse initiating the case must file a Bill of Complaint for Divorce and relevant service forms.

2. Review all the provided documents carefully to pick those that address your case's circumstances. For example, consider whether a petitiner needs child-related divorce forms, fee waivers, etc.

3. Determine what information (personal data, the date of separation, the location of your spouse, etc.) is needed and what matters are still to be discussed with the spouse. If parties want to file a Joint Divorce Complaint, they must agree about child custody, property and debts division, alimony, and other essential divorce terms.

4. Generally, not all the documents must be filled out at once: check at which stages of the procedure each of the forms must be completed and which forms are provided for the other spouse (the defendant).

5. Finally, make all the needed copies and thoroughly fill out the necessary divorce forms. Then, proofread the papers, and organize them in chronological order for your convenience.

In Mississippi, filing for divorce without a lawyer is a 100% legit option, called Pro Se divorce in legal terms. Although it is not recommended in high-conflict, contested divorces, the spouses who apply for an uncontested divorce do not necessarily have to address a law firm to prepare for their dissolution of marriage.

Self-representing litigants can select and fill out all the needed divorce forms on their own or use online divorce services to make things easier and save time. Mississippi Online Divorce is a top-notch paperwork preparation service that helps complete the divorce papers in only two business days for just $139.

Once the paperwork is ready, the further steps to getting a divorce are the spouses' responsibility if they refuse legal aid.

To start a divorce in Mississippi, the plaintiff (or both spouses together if filing for a simplified divorce) must file a petition and other initial divorce forms with the Chancery Court Clerk's office in the county where either spouse lives.

Besides, the plaintiff must pay court fees when filing divorce papers. The standard cost is about $150 in Mississippi, yet it can vary depending on the county. In addition to filing fees, service fees are charged in case of a sole divorce application.

Generally, DIY divorce in Mississippi requires the same steps as a legally assisted process:

1. Select and fill out the necessary divorce forms

To start a divorce the plaintiff typically must fill out the following initial divorce forms:

2. File for divorce

The plaintiff (or both spouses together if filing a Joint Complaint) need to sign and file the above divorce documents with the Chancery Court Clerk's office in the county where either party resides.

3. Serve the divorce papers to the defendant

If filing a sole application for divorce, the plaintiff must deliver the copies of divorce papers to the defendant within 120 days after the commencement of the action.

In Mississippi, the service of process can be accomplished by one of the following methods:

Please note that the sheriff's office and private process servers charge additional fees.

4. Waiting period

Once all the divorce papers are filed, Mississippi requires a mandatory sixty-day waiting period before a no-fault divorce based on irreconcilable differences can be finalized.

5. Finalize a divorce

After sixty days from filing the petition, the court can enter a final divorce judgment. In an uncontested divorce, the spouses usually are not required to attend court hearings.

Instead, the judge shall review all the submitted divorce forms to ensure that everything is completed correctly and approve the spouses' Marital Settlement Agreement as long as it is fair and reasonable.

The spouses who have minor children can determine their parental rights and liabilities by themselves or through mediation or counseling sessions. However, if they cannot reach 
an agreement, the court makes decisions for kids at its discretion.

In such an event, Mississippi courts are guided by the "best interests of the child" principle and consider all the relevant factors of a particular divorce case. These factors include but are not limited to:

Mississippi courts typically encourage the parents to share custody unless proven that it may be harmful to the child.

Both physical and legal custody can be joint (shared between the parents):