If your spouse hasn’t hired an attorney and refuses to do so, it may be worth your while to try to determine why that is.
In many cases, it may be that your spouse has concerns about paying for the lawyer, but it’s our experience that people tend to do better after a divorce when they’ve been fully informed and engaged in the process, rather than just letting it happen to them.
Another reason we see far too often is that a spouse will refuse to participate until the last possible minute, in an effort to drag out the proceedings and cause you more stress.
If that’s the case, then you may find that your spouse hires an attorney right before a key filing deadline, or even attempts to respond to deadlines on their own.
Whatever the reason, your spouse can’t force you to stay married, but might be able to make the divorce more difficult than it has to be.
You should keep calm, talk to a lawyer, and proceed as is best for you. Your spouse will catch up.
Call the attorneys at Zelenitz, Shapiro & D’Agostino for a free consultation at 718-523-1111.