Are we legally separated? Five years ago, my wife and I split up (in New York). We didn’t use attorneys (too expensive for us). Instead, we used a template from another divorce and modified it to fit our needs. We signed it in front of a notary and filed it at the county clerk’s office for $5.00. Someone said to me it might not be legal because an attorney didn’t review it. I’d say it is. What do you think? What do you think would happen if either of us filed for divorce?
I can’t tell you without seeing them whether the documents you signed were prepared correctly and whether you are, in fact, legally separated. I can tell you that these matters are too important to leave to self-help activities, and problems generally come back to haunt you later on where the costs for correcting the problems will far exceed the amount it would have cost you to do it right in the first place.
If you’re located in the New York City metropolitan area, please call me at 212-370-1660 to discuss reviewing the documents and filing the proper papers to be sure that you are separated and that you will be able to get divorced without any further concerns or doubts.
Leonard M. Weiner, Esq./Divorce Solutions