After the Defendant (the spouse) has been served a copy of the papers that were filed with the court to start the divorce, the Defendant is given time to respond.
The Defendant will respond in one of the following ways:
| If the Defendant. | then. |
|---|---|
| signs and returns the Affidavit of Defendant | This is an uncontested divorce. You can file the rest of papers to put your case on the court calendar. |
| files a Notice of Appearance | This is a contested divorce and you may need a lawyer to help you with your case. |
| doesn't return the Affidavit of Defendant or file a Notice of Appearance (defendant does nothing) | This is an uncontested divorce and the Defendant has "defaulted." You can file the rest of the papers to put your case on the court calendar. |
Depending on how the Defendant responds, your case may be ready to be placed on the court calendar and assigned to a judge.
** This is a general information and may not apply to the county where you're filing your uncontested divorce case. Contact the Supreme Court in your county for more information.
Look up case info. by name or index/docket number at eCourts.