Often people are very involved in their careers or have already reached an amicable agreement with their still-spouse on the distribution of property after the marriage. In most cases, the divorce should simply be executed as quickly and easily as possible. In these cases, it might be worthwhile to issue a divorce order online. This option has only existed for a few years, but it has several advantages over the traditional procedure.
Submit documents for the divorce online
The term online divorces is somewhat misleading. Finally, it implies that divorces can be carried out online, which is not so true.
With an online divorce, the entire case is handled online. One chooses a legal representative and, in the first step, usually has to fill out a form with the most important information for the case. This includes, for example, information on the net income of both spouses and the number of dependent children in the household. It is also important to know whether the divorce is amicable and whether there may be a notarized agreement that includes a waiver of pension equalization or annuity compensation. Standard information also includes general information such as names and addresses, date of marriage, date of separation, etc.
Online divorces are of course also subject to the lawyer's duty of confidentiality. The information provided is strictly confidential and must be treated accordingly.
If all the information sent to the law firm is correct and there are no further questions from either side, the divorce petition can be received by the court within 24 hours. Of course, it is also possible not to issue the power of attorney yet and to ask for a callback in order to discuss everything first.
Costs of an online divorce
Lawyers who handle online divorces must also bill according to the relevant fee schedule. For this reason, there is no fixed price with reputable lawyers, even for online divorces. The divorce costs are based on the net income of the spouses, just as in any normal procedure. This also means: the lower the income, the lower the lawyer's fees.
However, many attorneys who make themselves available for online divorces offer discounts that can push the overall cost of the divorce to a relatively low level. If a couple wants to divorce by mutual consent, for example, there is naturally much less work involved than in a so-called war of the roses. Discounts of up to 25 percent are quite possible in such a case. Further costs can be saved, for example, if you link to the lawyer's homepage on your own homepage. Even if the law firm of your choice does not make this offer right away: feel free to ask your lawyer about it.
If the legal fees are too high for you to foresee and are too much of a burden for you, most lawyers will allow you to pay off the amount due in installments. Tip: do not pay the fee until you know the file number of your case. Only then can you be sure that everything will go according to plan. And when it comes to the lawyer's fees, make sure that expenses such as postage and telephone costs are already covered by a lump sum that is naturally as low as possible. If this is not the case, you pay for each conversation, each letter individually. In many cases, nationwide representation in court is possible, even if the lawyer is not on site. Usually they assign the case – free of charge for you – to a local colleague. Thus, there are hardly any travel costs and the total legal fees can be kept as low as possible.
Legal aid for divorce online
Of course, it is in principle also possible to apply for legal aid in the case of an online divorce. Here, if certain conditions are met, the legal fees are first paid by the court. The costs, which are thus also lower than the conventionally calculated amounts, are later paid back to the court in installments. If the income is below a certain minimum level or the applicant has high debts, the process can also be completely free of charge. The aid does not apply if only one spouse is a low earner or burdened by debts. In this case, the better-earning spouse must be called upon to pay the debt.
In order to apply for a court cost allowance, documents such as salary certificates, a copy of the rental agreement and, in copy, documents about liabilities are required. This naturally results in more work, which has a negative effect on the time frame and the lawyer's fees.
Conclusion for divorce online
In principle, it can be said: if you have found the optimal partner for filing for divorce after extensive research, online divorces hold significant advantages. They can be carried out nationwide and, as a rule, they can be carried out quickly and easily. Especially if you have already agreed with your spouse on the most important points, such a divorce can also proceed amicably and fairly. Since there is no visit to the lawyer, divorces online not only save time, they also save a lot of money.