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What Do I Do After Being Served with Divorce Papers in Pennsylvania?

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For many people, a divorce proceeding is the first time that they have been served with legal papers. At a time when you may be angry or grieving the end of your marriage, you are also dealing with the anxiety of having to be in court to fight for what matters most to you such as your kids, your financial stability, and your home.

Stay Calm and Make a Plan

Once you have been served with the papers it is important to remain calm and to make a plan to protect yourself and your rights. Specifically, our Pennsylvania divorce attorneys recommend that you:

  1. Carefully Read the Papers Served to You. They contain important information about what your spouse is seeking, how you should respond, the dates by which you need to respond, and about your rights. The papers should include a:
    1. Cover Sheet. This tells you where the case was filed, which attorney is representing your spouse and other important information you will need to respond appropriately to the complaint.
    2. Notice to Defend. This explains what will happen to you if you fail to take action on the papers served to you and encourages you to seek the help of a lawyer.
    3. Complaint. This document gets to the heart of the matter. It tells you what your spouse is seeking from you.
    4. Verification. This is your spouse’s formal affirmation that the information in the complaint is true.
    5. Supporting Documentation. Additional documentation may also be provided.
    6. Make a Plan Now That You Know What Your Spouse is Requesting. Take note of all deadlines noted in the papers and the issues raised by your spouse. Think about whether you are going to contest the requests and/or make some of your own or whether you are pretty much in agreement with the plan outlined by your spouse.

Contact an Experienced Pennsylvania Divorce Attorney

You have the right to represent yourself in a divorce proceeding. However, it is important to know that your spouse is already being represented by an attorney who is going to do his or her best to get your spouse what he or she wants.

You deserve the same advantage.

You deserve to be able to focus on your life and your emotions with the security of knowing that you have a PA divorce lawyer advocating for you. You may have received the divorce papers when you were alone, but you do not have to go through the legal proceedings by yourself. Instead, please call our office today to discuss how we may be able to help you through this difficult time.

Client Testimonials

They are amazing! I highly recommend anyone that is in need of assistance with child support hearings to seek out the expertise and experience of this law firm and staff! They handled my case quickly and I feel that my money was put to good use. Much appreciated! Nothing less than five stars!

Alana Deverson

I just want to say GREAT JOB! She is a no nonsense professional with years of experience that qualifies her as a skilled Family Law attorney. She is seasoned, sensitive, and most of all she cares. She made things easy for me. Definitely recommend!

Kimberly Colby

Overall I was pleased with the results of my divorce case. The entire Petrelli Previtera team truly cares about their clients. Luckily for me, I was paired up with an amazing team helping all the way. If you happen to work with this firm and with the lawyers you’ll be in great hands. It was such an excellent service and it was beyond I expected.

A Family Law Client Chevy Chase , MD

Serving Clients at the Following Locations

Bethesda4800 Hampden Lane, Suite 200 Bethesda MD 20814(301) 234-7409view details
Maryland5425 Wisconsin Ave Chevy Chase, MD 20815(301) 889-8085view details
ChicagoTwo Prudential Plaza 180 North Stetson Suite 3500 Chicago, IL 60601(312) 252-2085view details
Schaumburg1750 E. Golf Rd, Suite 382 Schaumburg, IL 60173(630) 491-9670view details
Texas500 W 2nd St Suite 1900 Austin, TX 78701(512) 883-1684view details
Seattle2033 6th Ave, Seattle WA 98121(206) 231-5789view details
Washington DC1717 K Street NW, Suite 900 Washington DC 20006(202) 519-0366view details
Denver7900 E. Union Ave. Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80237(720) 821-6440view details
Princeton475 Wall St, Suite 214, Princeton, NJ 08540(609) 917 9560view details
Linwood210 New Road #15 Linwood, NJ 08221(609) 375-0351view details
Parsippany8 Campus Dr, Parsippany, NJ 07054(973) 310-5320view details
Philadelphia1845 Walnut Street 19th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19103(215) 523-6900view details
Montgomery County516 DeKalb Street Suite C Norristown, PA 19401(610) 924-2870view details
Doylestown123 N Broad Street, Doylestown, PA 18901(267) 938-4480view details
Abington1147 Easton Road, Abington PA 19001(610) 890-4833view details
West Chester203 W. Chestnut St., Suite 204
West Chester, PA. 19380
(610) 431-4012view details

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