Harris County Divorce Forms
Finding the right Harris County divorce papers requires due attention since you need to collect and fill out documents that are up-to-date and relevant to your case. While no case is like the other, there is a basic set of papers you will need to file more likely than any other one. Here is a list of the forms that you may need to get for a divorce in Harris County:
A petition for divorce in Harris County is the most important document that is filed in each case. This extensive form is an official request for the court to start your marriage dissolution. The spouse who files this form is referred to as the petitioner. They have to provide information about both spouses, their children, property, assets, custody agreement, and other facts about the marriage while filling out the document.
Civil Case Information Sheet is filed together with the Petition and informs the court about the type of case you are initiating. There will also be fields with the contact information of the petitioner and the names of the parties. This form can be completed by the petitioner if they are going to represent themselves in court or by their attorney.
The Answer is filled out and filed by the respondent – the spouse of the petitioner. In this form, the respondent confirms they want to take part in further proceedings and provides some basic information about their separate property. After being served with the paperwork, the respondent has 20 days to file the Answer with the court.
Alternatively to providing the Answer, the respondent has a legal right to waive the service. By filing the Waiver, they confirm that they have already seen the Petition and, unless it changes, do not want to be informed about the case in the future. They also state that they do not need to be served through the legal process.
When filing the paperwork, the petitioner must pay the filing fees. In case they are not able to cover the payment, they can file a fee waiver. In this document, they have to provide their financial information, list property or assets, inform the court about their family situation, and mention any government benefits they receive. The form will be reviewed by the judge, and if the petitioner qualifies for a fee waiver, they will not cover the court costs.
This document is filed by spouses both with and without children. It serves as a report about the parties to the case and includes basic information about spouses and children affected by divorce. If you do not have kids, most sections in the Suit will be left blank, but you will still need to file this form.
A divorce decree is a document in which all the terms of a marriage dissolution related to child custody and support, alimony, and property division are written down by the spouses and approved by the judge. Once it is signed by the court and filed with the clerk, the divorce is considered finalized.
Some of the common Harris County divorce forms in pdf can be found and downloaded on the official website of the Harris County clerk. However, if you need more specific documents, you need to search for them on your own and fill them out correctly so that they are accepted by the court.
If hiring a lawyer to help you with the paperwork is not an option for you, you can always order a full packet of court-approved forms from DivorceHarrisCounty. You will get your personal set of filled-out forms in just 5 days for a flat fee of $139. All you need to do is review the documents as well as print and sign them before filing. You will also get a detailed filing guide together with the forms.
