Divorce Help: Filling For Divorce On Your Own

Last Updated on August 31, 2023 by Lori Pace

Divorce can be a hard decision, often accompanied by ambivalence and uncertainty. Going through this process is hard and sometimes trivial with all the emotions involved. So, have you ever wondered where you can get help with your divorce, especially when you have to fill out all the forms on your own?

As well as the identity of the family members, the identities of each individual involved change. If your family was close-knit, this identity would change. In other words, your personal identity changes. You are no longer married to someone. You might feel sad if these roles or identities were important to your life.

Divorce is legal to permit individuals to remarry. Beyond that, the divorce decree is of no legal significance. Although it is not there to solve problems, the divorce decree can often force a couple and their children into reassessing their expectations and abandoning hopes for reconciliation.

When Can You Serve The Defendant

You must serve your documents within 120 days of filing the complaint. If your spouse fails to serve within 120 days, they will dismiss your complaint.

You can request the Court to extend the service time if your spouse is not served within 120 days. To ask the judge for an extension of time, you can use these forms. You must fill out both forms, and you should fill out the declaration with the court. Finally, you must submit the order to the judge for review.

Who Can Serve The Defendant

A “disinterested” person must serve the papers. A “disinterested person” is someone who isn’t a party to the case and is not interested in the outcome. They must be at least 18 years of age. Family members and significant others (boyfriends/girlfriends) cannot serve the documents. For a fee, you can either ask someone neutral to serve the documents or hire a private process server or sheriff.

  • Can I Serve The Defendant?

If the defendant is willing to waive formal service, you can serve the documents yourself. To do this, sign a form and return it to him. You must give the Defendant a copy and a notice along with a waiver.

If Defendant signs “Waiver of Service of Summons and Complaint”, they will allow Defendant to have additional time to respond to your papers. The court must be notified that you have signed the waiver.

How To Serve The Defendant

You must personally serve your spouse with a copy. Someone who does not have involvement must personally serve the defendant in the case. You can serve your spouse anywhere, including at home or at work.

Anyone who serves the defendant must sign an Affidavit to Service detailing when, where, and which documents were served on him. You may need to fill out a form if you are using a private process server or the sheriff. To prove that your spouse was properly served, file the affidavit to the court.

Fill Out The Important Forms With Divorce Help

Fill Out The Important Forms With Divorce Help

Family Court Cover Sheet

This form lists basic information about yourself, your spouse, and any children you have with them. Your spouse is the Defendant and you are the Plaintiff. The Clerk of Court uses this information to open your case.

Complaint For Divorce

This form is a requirement as it tells the judge, your spouse, and the court what you want from the divorce. Your spouse is the Plaintiff, and you are the Defendant. To tell your spouse and the judge, you must check boxes and fill out blanks.

  • If there are children, what kind of visitation or child custody schedule would you like?
  • If there are children, how much child support should you order?
  • How would you like to divide your property and debts
  • Should alimony be ordered?
  • You can have your former name restored.

If you have minor children with your spouse, you can fill out the “Complaint For Divorce-With Children.” If you don’t have children, you can fill out the Complaint For Divorce-No Children.

Summons

This form must be completed as it informs your spouse that it is time to file for divorce. This form informs your spouse that you have filed for divorce. Your spouse must respond within 21 days, or they may be set as default. Use the filing code SEI to upload summons if you are e-filing. This will ensure that it is processed correctly.

Joint Preliminary Injunction

This is an optional injunction that you can request at the time you file your papers. This injunction prohibits you and your spouse, while your divorce case is ongoing, from doing any of the following:

  • It is illegal to hide, sell or dispose of property belonging to the community.
  • It is impossible to cancel or modify the beneficiaries of any retirement account or insurance plan.
  • You can’t harass one another, your children, family members, or pets.
  • Without written permission, you cannot move the children from Nevada.

Once the Clerk issues the Joint Preliminary injunction, you will legally be prohibited from doing any of the above. These will be legal prohibitions for your spouse as soon as you have served the papers. You can request an injunction by filling out the form below and asking the Clerk of Court for one.

Divorce Help To File The Forms

To file the papers, the court charges $299. The court charges $299 to file the papers. You can pay cash, money order or with most major credit/debit cards. Filing fees and waivers will help you to request a waiver from the court if you are unable to pay the fee. These are the ways you can file your papers:

Online

You can file your documents online using the court’s electronic filing system, EFileNV. Uploading your documents is free, but you will have to pay a $3.50 fee in addition to the regular filing fees. To create an account, you will need to provide a valid email address and be able scan and upload documents separately as pdfs.

In-Person

You can also visit the Family Courthouse in person. Make sure you fill out the important divorce documents before going through the Family Courthouse and fine help when needed.

Mail

It takes approximately 6-8 weeks for mail to process. Mail your forms along with the filing fee (with a check or money order made payable to Clerk of Court) and to:

Family Courts and Services Center
Attn: Clerk of Court
601 North Pecos Road
Las Vegas, NV 89101

Serve The Defendant

The Court will not serve papers on your behalf. You must ensure that the Defendant is served after you file for divorce. Otherwise, your case may be dismissed.

Once you have completed the steps, find a neutral third party to deliver a copy of the summons and complaint to the defendant. If the Defendant is not available or cannot be served in person, there are other options. Visit the Serving Divorce Papers page to learn more about how to serve the Defendant.

Lori Pace
Lori Pace

Lori Pace is a single mother of three daughters ages 7 and under. As a working mom from home, she balances kids, work and two crazy dogs with humor and love. Follow Lori as she honestly gives tips and advice based on her own experiences as a single mom!