To Make Your Divorce Official, You Need an Agreement, Not a Lawyer Written By Sandra McCarthy Founder, A People’s Choice Fact Checked The time between when you file for divorce and when a judge makes that divorce official can feel endless, even if it takes less than a year. Your ex-spouse might take every opportunity to mention that you and your current partner moved in together before your divorce officially becomes final; your ex might even try to use this fact to discredit you as a parent. Paying alimony to your spouse while the official divorce is pending is painful, especially because the amount is almost always more than the alimony you will have to pay after your divorce is officially over. Once you get the part of the process where you and your spouse sign a divorce agreement, though, you are into the home stretch. Agreeing about property division when you and your spouse disagree about almost everything else can be a challenge, but it is possible to conclude a marital settlement agreement without hiring a lawyer. The most practical choice is to hire a California legal document assistant to prepare your marital settlement agreement and other official divorce documents. What our Clients Say... “A People’s Choice is extremely customer orientated and friendly. Their service was fast and reliable. in the future, should I need their services again, I will not hesitate to call them. All e-mails were answered with either a phone call or e-mail sometimes even late at night“ Tar “When I first saw all of the documents required to file I was overwhelmed. Already dealing with the stress of everything else, I did not want to deal with the courts, a mountain load of paperwork and trips to file as well. I’m VERY happy that I went with A People’s Choice. They were very helpful, despite all of my questions. I definitely recommend.” M. McCleod “I needed help understanding and filling out legal documents, but I didn’t have enough money to pay for an attorney. The staff at A People’s Choice was very professional and helpful. They took care of all of the paperwork and filings and kept me posted. I would highly recommend them. You will get outstanding service at an affordable price. “ Sharon B. “Want to personally thank the staff at A People’s Choice for making my divorce process so simple and painless. From my 1st contact in the office, they were was warm and friendly and took the time to explain each step in a very simple and quick manner. Filing for a divorce can be a difficult and painful process and the staff was extremely professional and clear in all guidance and explanations. I highly recommend A People’s Choice.” C. Hannon “I had the opportunity to use A People’s Choice again, Wow doesn’t say enough for the way the staff was able to get me in and out and all my answers answered. Very P-professional, organized and Friendly. I highly recommend!” Debbie E. “A People’s Choice helped me with my QDRO. They were very professional and very honest. They saved me a lot of money by having them do all the paperwork. There was no hidden fees. I would recommend A People’s Choice for any of your needs. They are very knowledgeable in what they do. Thank you A People’s Choice for all your help!” Debra H. “Overwhelmed with my divorce, custody and child support paperwork, A Peoples Choice made everything so much easier and really put my mind at ease. I couldn’t be happier with their assistance and it really made all the process speed up for me. Thank you so much for all your help.” Samantha R. “So glad I found this company to handle my divorce. They were very professional and detail oriented, answering all of my (many) questions and kept me informed. They handled everything for me from hundreds of miles away and made it pretty seamless. The pricing was in the exact range we were looking for. Very honest company and great to work with!” Jessica J. “Made the process so easy for me. Also VERY prompt replies through email. So glad I used their services.“ Kristina C. “I can’t say enough about the level of service and professionalism I received working with A People’s Choice. Emails were always responded to quickly and thoughtfully. They really care about the process and helping you get the best result with no up-selling. The process played out according to plan, and I ended up saving a lot of money by going with A People’s Choice over an attorney.” M. Rice “Very professional, excellent follow up and easy to work with. I will recommend them often! The staff rocks!” Gene A. “Highly recommend A People’s Choice. The customer service and professionalism are exceptional. My documents were delivered to me quickly and accurately. Compared to using an attorney for complete paperwork, this service is only a fraction of the cost, more responsive, and better suited to quickly completing complicated court forms. “ Linda F. “I’ve worked with A People’s Choice since September 2013. They are very knowledgeable and experienced. Their work is done professionally and timely. They show a real concern for my situation. I recommend you give them the opportunity to be of service to you.” D. Echeverra “I recently required the help of A People’s Choice, Inc. and found them to be entirely professional. Everything was done in short order yet all was explained to my satisfaction. They were friendly and courteous. I am happy and impressed.” C. Zyobel “My wife and I needed to have papers filed in court but found traditional lawyers were quite expensive. A People’s Choice did a professional job completing our paperwork and I might say, at a very reasonable price. You can bet I will contact A People’s Choice again if or when the need arises. “ D. Hileman “Great service. Highly professional and efficient creating legal documents. I am completely satisfied and highly recommend them to others. I am so glad I found you on the internet. People who are looking for professional legal services look no further, try A People’s Choice.” Radtech N. “I had contacted a lawyer and he wanted to charge me $1800.00. Then I found A People’s Choice. They got my paperwork started and at a much lower cost, and steered me, with the help of lots of paperwork, in the right direction. I am grateful for the company’s services and would recommend them to anyone that may need the services they offer.” April R. “A People’s Choice saved me time, money & hardship. The people are professional and a pleasure to work with, I totally recommend them to everyone! I will used them for all my legal documents in the future. Thank you!” C. Lazalde “Just recently moved to the Ventura area and didn’t know of any companies to help me with my legal paperwork. I am glad I chose A People’s Choice. They were very friendly and helped me with my documents in a very efficient way in very little time. Give them a try and you will be writing a positive review just as I did.” D. Buelna “This company is excellent! They helped me get through all of my paperwork, submitted it to the court, and now everything is complete. Everything was clear and almost too easy. I saved thousands of dollars!” Seth M. “A People’s Choice is a business that delivers what they promise. I was treated like a VIP by their staff. As for their services, they promptly delivered all of the official documents and fillings on my behalf and their price is more than reasonable. In short, this is a business that I will always recommend and continue to use. Thank you!” Juan B. “Lightning fast response, I had my very simple document on the same day as my order for the very fair and reasonable price of $325 (including the rush fee!) compared to my attorney who quoted me 3 weeks and $2500. I will definitely use these folks again and highly recommend them!” L. Carnes “A People’s Choice offers a very professional, low cost service for all sorts of legal paperwork, from living trusts to divorce, bankruptcy and everything in between. If you know what you want to do and don’t need legal advice, I strongly recommend calling this company. You won’t be disappointed and will save lots of money!” Kathryn R. “Extremely satisfied with the performance of A People’s Choice. The communication was excellent and all was handled in a timely efficient manner. “ Pam T. “I would just like to comment on what a great job A People’s Choice did with my divorce. I could not be happier. They let me know how they keep the cost down by communicating through email. I also appreciated how when I had a question they got back with me in the day or in the evening. APeoples Choice is a good deal for the consumer.” R. Leyva “I used A People’s Choice for filing divorce paperwork for an uncontested divorce. The price was very affordable and fair. Excellent service throughout. Not being able to call and talk on the phone worried me at first but they responded to every email extremely quickly. Directions were very easy to understand. Will definitely use them again if I need. Frank M. “I can’t remember how I found A People’s Choice, but am completely satisfied with the service provided. The person I worked with was very friendly whenever we spoke on the phone and always responded promptly to any emails. The entire process was smooth and painless. Would recommend A People’s Choice without hesitation.” Les A. “Divorce is usually never pleasant but A People’s Choice made it much easier than it would have been if we tried to do the divorce paperwork on our own. They were very quick to respond to us and always took the time to answer all of our questions thoroughly, in addition to quickly. I would highly recommend them for handling divorce paperwork.” Susan Z. “The service provided by A People’s Choice was very professional and comprehensive. We have used A People’s Choice on a previous occasion and were completely satisfied. We would highly recommend A People’s Choice to anyone!“ R. Betancourt “A People’s Choice is awesome! They made the legal documentation process painless. I highly recommend A People’s Choice. The name says it all.” Eric J. “I thought I could save money and file my own divorce paperwork. The court clerks offer no assistance whatsoever! The best advice I can give is to call A People’s Choice first. They typed up my paperwork and my divorce was final in two weeks! Would highly recommend them to everyone.” L. Bayer “A People’s Choice prepares legal documents so you can represent yourself and still look like you know what you’re doing. I utilized their services recently and found them to be professional as well as extremely helpful. I couldn’t be happier.” Evan J. “This team is efficient, professional, ethical and easy to work with. Any of my questions were responded to immediately. They did everything they could to help me. I highly recommend their services.” Leigh A. “I used A People’s Choice to complete custody paperwork. No disappointment here. The service was easy and painless. It might have been nice to have a discussion by phone, but it was still quite easy and quick via email. Overall, the process was simple and I would use A People’s Choice again.” Michael J. “I was very happy with the service received. They were extremely responsive by phone and email and completed the document in less than 24 hours! All questions were answered promptly. I would highly recommend this service to anyone needing a legal document prepared!” M.D. “How much is peace of mind worth to you? This company of hardworking, caring individuals will help you get the job done in the quickest, most efficient way. Conveniently located. Check it out. Thank you!” Diana K. Get help filing a California divorce! START MY DIVORCE!…or continue reading the article below to learn more about how to make your divorce official without a lawyer. What is a Marital Settlement Agreement? A marital settlement agreement is an official divorce document in which two spouses who are about to make their divorce official specify how they will divide their marital property and debts. It is one of the key documents that makes the terms of your divorce official. If the couple has children together, the marital settlement agreement also addresses issues of parenting schedules and child support. After you and your spouse sign a marital settlement agreement, you are ready to request a final judgment of divorce. Even if one of you requested certain things in your divorce petition and the other one made different requests in a response to the petition, the marital settlement agreement is your chance to specify the terms that are acceptable to both of you. If you have a marital settlement agreement, the court will simply apply the terms that you set out in your marital settlement agreement. Your divorce judgment will simply restate what you already decided in your marital settlement agreement, except that it will also declare you legally divorced and will contain a judge’s signature. If you have a marital settlement agreement, you do not even need to go to a hearing to finalize your divorce. Even if the marital settlement agreement does not enable you to walk away with every single thing you requested in your divorce petition or response, filing a marital settlement agreement is much better than not filing one. If you and your spouse do not reach an official divorce agreement, then the judge will decide; in other words, you have more control over the outcome if you and your spouse agree on the terms of your divorce cooperatively. Besides, signing a marital settlement agreement with your spouse is much less expensive than hiring a lawyer to convince the judge to grant your requests about the terms of your divorce. Having Your Official Divorce Agreement Prepared Professionally Is the Best Option You do not need a lawyer to make your divorce official if you and your spouse plan to file a marital settlement agreement. Contact A People’s Choice to have a certified legal document assistant prepare and file your marital settlement agreement. Get help with your Legal documents today! A People’s Choice can save you hundreds of dollars by preparing your legal documents instead of an expensive attorney! GET STARTED!Was this article helpful? We would love to know your thoughts! If you found this article helpful, please check the LIKE button below. Your feedback helps us plan topics for future articles. By Sandra McCarthy|2020-10-24T14:36:55-07:00October 19th, 2020|Divorce|Comments Off on To Make Your Divorce Official, You Need an Agreement, Not a Lawyer