How to File Divorce Papers in Piscataquis County, Maine
To get a divorce in Piscataquis County, Maine, you must fill out papers and file them with the court. To file your divorce papers you must pay a filing fee and give the papers to the clerk.
In most courts, after you file your papers you must serve them on your spouse. However, in Piscataquis County, Maine, the process is reversed: You must serve the divorce papers on your spouse before you can file the papers with the court.
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Things You'll Need
- Completed divorce papers
- District court contact information
- Filing fee
- Proof of Service
Instructions
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Complete your divorce papers. If you have children, you must fill out the packet of papers for "Divorce With Children". If you do not have children, you may complete the packet of papers for "Divorce No Children". If you have questions about any of the papers in the packet, contact the court clerk's office.
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Make two copies of your divorce papers, one for your spouse and one for yourself. If you receive public assistance or you have asked the state to pursue child support, you must make a third copy and mail it to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The mailing address is:
Department of Health and Human Services
Support Enforcement Division
Central Office Supervisor
State House Station 11
Augusta, ME 04333-0011
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Serve the divorce papers on your spouse in person. You may hand-deliver a copy of your divorce papers to your spouse if he will accept them. After accepting the papers, he must sign the "Acknowledgement of Receipt of Summons."
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Mail the divorce papers to your spouse by certified mail. At the post office, ask for certified mail service with "Return Receipt" and "Restricted Delivery". These services ensure that only your spouse may sign for the papers and you get a signed receipt in return. Save the signed "green card" receipt you get in the mail; it must be filed with the court when you file your divorce papers.
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Ask the sheriff to serve the divorce papers to your spouse. Give the sheriff one copy of your divorce complaint, the original summons plus one copy and a copy of the child support affidavit. Provide the sheriff with your spouse's home and work addresses. Pay the service fee and tell the sheriff where you would like your signed copy of the summons sen, after service is complete.
As of 2010, the fee for sheriff service is about $15 to $30.
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File the divorce papers with the court clerk and pay the filing fee within 20 days of service. You may hand-deliver or mail the papers and fee to the court.
As of July 2010, the filing fee for divorce in Piscataquis County is $60. If you cannot afford the filing fee you may fill out papers to ask the court for a fee waiver.
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Tips & Warnings
Be sure to include proof of service when you file your divorce papers with the court. You must give the clerk one of the following: The signed acknowledgement of ceceipt, the signed certified mail green card receipt, or the completed summons from the sheriff.
Remember to file your divorce papers with the court clerk within 20 days of service to your spouse. If you do not file your papers within that time, you may have to restart your case.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Maine state contour with Capital City against blurred USA flag image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
