A summary divorce, also known as a “simple divorce,” is a quick and abbreviated version of divorce designed for couples who have not been married for that long and who do not have a lot of accumulated assets that would complicate the divorce.
Requirements & qualifications for a summary divorce
Though the key factors necessary for a summary divorce vary from state to state, they tend to revolve around several key requirements:
- A short marriage: Typically couples can be married for no more than 5 years in order to be eligible for a summary divorce.
- Children: Many states do not allow for filing of a summary divorce when couples have children. Other states may allow it, but only when spouses have resolved custody and agreed upon a set amount of child support.
- Real Estate: Most states only allow for a simple divorce when there is no substantial real estate involved; such as when couples had been renting rather than owning a home.
- Property: Couples cannot have significant assets in order to file for a summary divorce. Combined marital assets must be under a certain threshold (usually $35,000, not including vehicles). Each spouse’s individual property and assets must also be under a certain threshold, typically the same set amount as marital property.
Benefits of a simple divorce
It’s quick and easy, as well as cheap. The only costs involved in a simple divorce are the state filing fees, which range between $175 and $350 for a simple divorce filing.
Disadvantages of filing a simple divorce
It’s likely that many of the people reading this book won’t qualify, since they have children and have been married too long.