In some situations, a spouse may be anticipating the receipt of divorce papers, but in others, being served with a petition for divorce catches someone completely off guard. It does not matter whether you were prepared or not. If you have been served with divorce papers, you need to take action right away to protect yourself and your legal rights.

Start by Reading the Papers

Your first step should be to carefully read over the papers you received. They have a ton of important information that you need to know, including in which court the case was filed. Knowing which court has jurisdiction is important if you and your spouse are estranged. You will need to file a response within the time allotted; otherwise your spouse may try to pursue a default judgment against you.

The documents will also contain information on what your spouse wants in the divorce. Maybe it is certain assets, custody of the children, spousal support, etc. If you have a lot of marital assets or high-value assets like a business or investments, your spouse may be asking for a lot. This is why retaining an attorney can be so important.

Immediately Retain a Maryland Divorce Attorney

You should start researching the best Maryland divorce lawyer as soon as possible and schedule a consultation. When you retain a family law attorney to help you, he or she will make sure that everything is handled within the deadline. Do not assume that hiring a Charles County divorce attorney is only applicable in contested divorces. Even if uncontested, you still want to make sure your rights are protected and that your spouse is not unfairly taking advantage of you.

File a Timely Response

If you are not hiring an attorney, or are still on the fence about retaining one, you need to make sure you get a response filed in time. In most cases, you have 30 days to answer the petition you received, which starts counting from the date you were actually served. It is imperative that you have the deadline date right. If you think the answer is due by one date and it is actually two days earlier, you do not want to miss the deadline or your ex could potentially receive everything requested in the divorce petition.

Gather All Necessary Documents

Whether or not you are retaining an attorney, you will need to gather all important financial and legal documents needed for the divorce. These can include bank account numbers, property titles, investment account statements, tax returns, etc. You will also want to gather your marriage certificate, birth certificate, social security card, and driver’s license.

Protect Your Assets

You need to look into how to protect your assets during the divorce process. An attorney can help you learn what your options are and how to make sure your ex is not liquidating assets or hiding them in order to keep you from receiving your fair share during the property division portion of your divorce.

Contact a Maryland Family Law Attorney

If you need assistance with filing a Maryland divorce petition, or you have been served with divorce paperwork, contact the Law Office of Robert R. Castro today at 301-870-1200 to schedule an initial consultation.