How to Divorce in Pennsylvania?

Getting divorced is never a pleasant experience. You know that a huge change is in front of you, and you
need to adjust to a situation once again. Also, every divorce calls for ample information. More you
know, there is a bigger chance you are going through all of the proceedings without any struggles.
Especially in the United States, where laws differ from state to state, it is important to have enough
knowledge before you get into this lifechanging process. Today, we are here to provide you with
essential information for those who want a divorce, and they are residents of Pennsylvania. Let us begin.

How Much it Takes to Get a Divorce?

This is a really good question. There are similar factors that can have an impact on the length.
– When it comes to fault divorce, you will not spend any time. Your attorney will obtain it quickly.
– Mutual consent divorce can be filed in a period of ninety days.
– Mental hospital divorces are possible and they are taking more time.
– Military and non-consent divorces are taking more time to complete than usual ones.
– 2-year separation divorce is possible after two years and a waiting period of 20 days.

Grounds for Divorce in PA

In order for a person to get a divorce in PA, the person must have a residence in the state at least for six
months. In that case, spouses can agree on a mutual divorce or can file a fault divorce to the court. But,
the grounds for divorce in Pennsylvania are:

– Abandonment
– Abuse
– Adultery
– Bigamy
– Felony
– Improvement (2 years)
– Institutionalization
– Irreconcilable differences

How to File for a Divorce?

The divorce case starts after one of the spouses files for a complaint. After that, the person who filed a
complaint needs to fill out two forms called “Notice to Defend and Claim Rights” and “Verification”. If
the person doesn’t have enough funds to spend on divorce, the state of Pennsylvania has an option to
call for waive filing fees. In order to prove the lack of funds, a person needs to fill out another form
named In Forma Pauperis.
All of these forms are available for download on the website of the Pennsylvania court system. After all
of the paperwork is completed, you should fill two copies of each one of them, along with the
complaint. They need to be hand-carried to the local institution, more precisely, courthouse and carry all
of the documents to the office where all of the legal pleadings are filed. At that moment, you will
receive a stamp and the date of your arrival at the office.

Spouse Consents

Divorce laws of PA are requiring both of the spouses to wait ninety days from the day when the consent
form is filed. If it happens that spouses exceed the deadline, they need to file new consent forms. The
next step is crucial. You will have two options, you can either sign Waiver of Notice or Notice of
Intention. If both parties sign a Waiver of Notice, the papers will be sent to the judge for completion.