OurDivorceAgreement.com

A: After completing a series of self-guided forms, OurDivorceAgreement.com provides your complete divorce agreement, financial disclosure documents and province specific filing forms required by the court. The site also generates a spreadsheet, listing the division of your assets and liabilities to further assist you. All for $US149.00 for unlimited use of the site. Everything is available to you immediately. No waiting for your documents.

Q: How is OurDivorceAgreement.com different from other sites?

A: The difference between our site and others is that everything is available immediately on our site. Our three step process is interactive and it guides you to instantly create your documents. The filing forms are in different formats depending on the province but are also instantly available to you (except Quebec). With the other site, you have to wait for them to send you your documents. In addition to that, our agreement portion is incredibly complete, serving as a checklist of things to consider for your divorce -property and child issues (if you have minor children). In fact, we guarantee you won't get a more comprehensive divorce agreement. (see our guarantee on the homepage.)

Q: Will this site work for my province?

A: OurDivorceAgreement.com currently has the court filing forms for completing your divorce for all provinces of Canada except Quebec. In countries for which we currently do not provide filing forms, our Agreement document should still work for you. You could simply have one of the attorneys reviewing your Agreement (recommended) supply the mandatory filing forms.

Q: In which province should we file for divorce?

A: It is much easier if the two of you can agree on where you want to file, although the rules/requirements don't change much from province to province. If both of you can file in your respective provinces, we usually suggest that the one most motivated to get the divorce be the one who files. However, we can accommodate you with what you need no matter where you decide to file.

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Q: Do I file in the province of marriage?

A: Actually you do not file in the province in which you were married; you file in your province of residency. You will have to contact the clerk of the court in the jurisdiction in which you want to file to find out what the residency requirements are. It is also much easier if the two of you can agree on where you want to file. If both of you can file in your respective provinces, we usually suggest that the one most motivated to get the divorce be the one who files. However, we can accommodate you with what you need no matter the state in which you decide to file.

Q: What if I can't locate my spouse?

A: The reality is that you will be able to get a divorce at some point in time. Each jurisdiction has different procedures concerning how to proceed if you cannot locate the other spouse. To find out how in your jurisdiction, please contact the clerk of the divorce court in your jurisdiction. For many court websites, click http://www.ncsconline.org/D_KIS/info_court_web_sites.html. If your court is not listed there, try doing a web search.

Q: What if my spouse is uncooperative?

A: The reality is that you will be able to get a divorce at some point in time. The question will be after how long and at what expense. My first suggestion would be for you to appeal to your spouse that that the divorce will happen and that you have found a way to make things go quicker and much less expensively. If they are not convinced, you can use the site to create a draft agreement that you could present to them to see if that eases some of their concerns (I realize that their refusal to cooperate may be simply that they doesnt want the divorce, not based on settlement terms, but sometimes a draft agreement eases fears and can start the conversation rolling.) If you cannot reach agreement through the use of the site, I can mediate any remaining issues by tele/video-conference with the two of you (or you could secure the services of a local mediator). Our site allows you to isolate items of disagreement and specifies what your respective positions are on the issue. I can access your information, and easily see what you disagree on and help you address those issues quickly, positively and inexpensively.

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Q: How long does it take for the divorce to become final?

A: It depends on your situation. There are two different waiting periods. For most provinces you must be living separate and apart for one year before the divorce can become final. There is a 31 day waiting period between the day that the judge signs the Judgment for divorce and the day that you can apply for your Certificate of Divorce.

Q: How long does it take to complete the site?

A: Some couples complete the site in one sitting. Some over time. It depends on how complex your situation is, how much you want/need to discuss the different options, etc. You can go as fast as you want. It's up to you. Sorry we cant be more specific but it really does depend on each situation (i.e. kids, lots of assets, etc.)

Q: Can we use your site if one spouse is out of the country?

A: Yes, your situation is perfect for our site. Assuming you have lived in your jurisdiction for the required residency period you can use the site no matter where the other spouse is residing. And with our site, you can both go online to work on the site. If you have a reasonably priced phone plan or an internet phone service, you can even be on the site at the same time and talk about each category.

Or one spouse can use the site to create a draft agreement to present to the other spouse. Since your purchase gives you unlimited use of the site, you can keep going back and forth as long as needed until you get everything the way you want it. Then the overseas spouse can print and sign everything and send it to the state-side spouse to file. We also have a recommended process server, who can file your papers with the court for $95. plus the court filing fees.

Q: Does the fee for the site include the Court filing fees?

A: No. Each province sets its own filing fee for divorce. Please contact the Clerk of the Court that handles divorces in your jurisdiction to inquire what the filing fee is in yours. These are paid by you at the time you file your documents. It is our best information that no online divorce site includes the cost of filing in the price of their product/service.

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Q: Do I/we have to appear in Court if we use this site?

A: Each province and each court has its own requirements for whether or not couples filing an uncontested divorce must appear in court. Some allow them to simply properly file the necessary paperwork. Others require a court hearing. The clerk of your county divorce court that you want to file in should be able to tell you.

Q: How much are the court filing fees?

A: The Court filing fees are to be paid to the court clerk at the time of filing. You may contact the clerk of your court that handles divorces in your county to find out how much this fee is in your province. Courts vary as to whether you may simply file your documents with the clerk or appear before the judge. The clerk of the divorce court in your county will also be able to answer this question.

Q: What is your refund policy?

A: Once someone enters the purchased area of OurDivorceAgreement.com, one has immediate access to every bit of information we offer divorcing couples. Therefore, we have a strict no refund policy. We offer all of the information we can to you in order to make an informed decision about what our site can offer you. Please review the information portion of the site carefully before you make a purchase. If you have questions that are not answered on the site or here, please feel free to contact us at support@ourdivorceagreement.com with your specific question.

Q: What is your 110% guarantee?

A: If you purchase our site and demonstrate that you have found a more comprehensive, we'll refund 110% of your purchase price, guaranteed!

Because with our site, a purchaser gets all of the required documents for divorce, we have a no refund policy. In exchange for our clients' agreement to our no refund policy, with their purchase of OurDivorceAgreement.com we commit to stick with them until they get what they need to divorce. We have always been able to get a client what they needed to divorce as long as they worked with us.

The vast majority of our clients complete their divorce with no difficulties whatsoever. On occasion (and they are so rare, I am able to assist each of them personally) a court will ask for something done a slightly different way. In those cases, we stick with our clients until they get what they need to divorce. You certainly would be no exception and you have my word on that.

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Q: Do we HAVE to have separate solicitors review the completed document before signing and submitting it to Court?

A: We recommend that once you create your draft agreement that both parties take it to separate solicitors for a one hour legal review to make sure it's in both of your best interests. We cannot "make" you do this, only suggest it as inexpensive "insurance" for what is for most people one of the most important financial transaction made during a lifetime. If you choose not to do this, you simply leave the lawyer's lines blank in your agreement and filing forms. You will not need an attorney to file your documents.

The use of our site is not a substitute for sound legal advice. But it IS an excellent substitute for hiring two solicitors to handle an entire divorce. Using our site, couples can craft their own comprehensive agreement, generate their filing forms and submit these directly to the court themselves, saving thousands of dollars, months/years of time and great turmoil along the way for the couple and their children.

Q: We have no major credit cards! Can we send in payment by money order?

A: Yes. (just to be sure you know, we also accept American Express and Discover in addition to Visa and Mastercard) we can accommodate your request. Please send a money order for $149.00 to: Mediation First; 6167 E. Speed Rd. Milltown, IN 47145. Please include your email address and phone number and we'll contact you when we receive payment to complete your registration.

To make the registration move quicker, please include with payment hard copies of the guidelines form, the login/password form, and the client registration form, filled out completely. You do this by simply clicking on one of the "order now" buttons on the OurDivorceAgreement.com home page, completing each page and with each one, click edit, select all, copy, then paste the results into MS Word and print out each of the pages.

You may also paste these pages into email format and email them to us at support@ourdivorceagreement.com. Include in the body of the email your requested login/password. Once your payment has been received, we will register you, using the information you provide, and will notify you as such.

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Q: We have no children together. Is there a version of your site that does not include child custody information?

A: Yes. In the registration, there is a place to mark "no children" and the site deletes any references to child-related issues. You then focus exclusively on the property issues, which are very complete - from the typical autos to frequent flyer miles and country club memberships!

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Q: What's the difference between a legal separation and a separation agreement?

A: A legal separation is a process different from divorce that separates your assets/debts and stops the clock on marital accumulation of assets. Some people get a legal separation when they are not sure they want to divorce. A legal definition for legal separation can be found at http://www.legal-definitions.com. The term legal separation is sometimes confused with the separation agreement of the divorce process. A separation agreement is the statement of your division of assets and debts (and child issues if you have children).

Q: Is there any limit for our use of the site?

A: Your one time payment of the site fee entitles you to unlimited use of the site. You may continue to make changes and corrections to the site as long as you wish. You can even use the site to modify your Agreement after the divorce if you have minor children. We do not however, have the filing forms for modifications, just for divorce.

Q: Can we work on the site from two different locations at the same time?

A: Yes, you can. You may discuss your choices by phone as you work from two different computers at the same time. You would both login with the same password and you would designate one of you as the "entry person." Each time the entry person makes a selection that you both agree with, the other person will click "refresh" on his/her browser and the entry will be displayed. You may do this throughout the site. Care needs to be taken that you are both not entering choices. This will create conflicting results.

Q: Do we both use the same login ID and password?

A: Yes. Each couple is treated as one "client couple." You will need to share the same Login ID and password for the duration of your use of the site.

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Q: Do we have to wait until we complete all forms before printing out documents?

A: No, you can print out a sample document with the items that you have completed at any time. If you are printing the Agreement Document before completing all of the forms, you will receive a warning message, but you will be able to review your work at any point in time.

Q: Can I let a friend use my registration by changing the names and other personal information?

A: The site is designed for use by one couple only. Once you have entered your profile information, it cannot be changed without permission secured through our office. One purchased use of the site is to be used by one couple.

Q: Can this site be used by unmarried couples with children?

A: Yes. Simply click the check box in the registration profile that is labeled, "unmarried/separating" and the proper language for your situation will be inserted in the Memorandum of Understanding.

Q: Can this site be used by Gay/Lesbian couples who are separating?

A: The range of issues and decisions dealt with on the site do apply to Gay/Lesbian/Transgender (G/L/T) couples. We have crafted an Agreement format that should work for most such situations. Follow the instructions above for unmarried couples. Since the law is evolving in this area, it is particularly important for G/L/T couples to secure independent legal advice before attempting to file their Agreement with a Court in their jurisdiction.

At the time of the development of this site, we are unfamiliar with terms that refer to the individuals of G/L/T couples in a way that "husband" and "wife" work for heterosexual couples. Therefore, at the outset of the use of the form, a G/L/T couple will need to designate each as "husband" or "wife" and remain consistent throughout the site. We are open to other ways of handling this situation in a way that honors all couples and all sexual orientations. Please contact us at the email address below with your feedback.

Q: Can I use the site to create an initial proposal that I can use to begin discussions and the divorce process?

A: ODA.com is set up to handle such an application. The spouse who wants to use the site for creating an initial proposal needs to register, complete the guidelines agreement process by checking and initialing his/her box and checking the spouses box and placing "XXX" in the initials box for the non-participating spouse. The participating spouse then may place his/her email address in the client registration form for both spouses so that no notice is sent to the non-participating spouse upon registration. The participating spouse should then email us with the login and his/her name and state that the site is being used to create an initial proposal. We will keep this statement on file. The site may then be used to create the proposal.

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Q: Can I use this site for legal advice?

A: As a divorce agreement preparation site, we are prohibited from giving legal advice, however we do have some resources for you. You might contact legaladviceline.com, who will answer any legal question for $34.95. They also can provide low cost legal representation. I should tell you that with the low price, I have heard some iffy things about their level of customer service. But they should be okay with a quick question and at that price you are not risking too much. Otherwise, you will need to contact a solicitor in your province. Many will set up an initial consultation at no charge or will answer a couple of questions prior to setting up an appointment. Then, once you get your questions answered, I would encourage you to come back to OurDivorceAgreement.com to complete your divorce paperwork.

Q: Do we have to comply with the waiting period if we use this site?

A: Unfortunately, the use of our site does not exempt a couple from the laws regarding divorce in a province, including the waiting period. Some allow for a waiver of the waiting period if a couple doesnt have minor children or for other extraordinary reasons. What many people do is purchase our site, complete the Agreement and filing forms, take them to the courthouse to do what they can now (if anything) then wait the required waiting period if necessary.

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Q: How do I know your site and credit card process are secure?

A: You are wise to ask about this for any purchase. Although no purchase process is absolutely failsafe, our credit card process is secure as is our database for the information you enter on our site. You use a login/pw that you select initially to enter your account each time you work on the site. We have not had a security breach in the 5 years we have been in operation and work to stay current with new technology to keep it that way.

Q: What if my divorce is (or becomes) adversarial?

A: Our site can still be of use to you and save you money in one of four ways:

1) You might coax your spouse to negotiate with you on some issues, even if he insists on litigating others. Any issues you resolve using the site will save you time and money ten times over compared to the process of having solicitors negotiate with each other. You can both get on the site at the same time - on the same computer or different computers by talking on the phone - and work through our simple forms to reach agreement. Those agreements are recorded for you automatically into an Agreement format.

2) You can create a draft agreement and give it to your spouse as the starting point in negotiations that could end up the basis of a final agreement on most/all issues.

3) You could use the site to tell the solicitor exactly what you want out of the divorce. You simply complete the steps above to create a draft agreement.

4) If the solicitors are able to negotiate a resolution, you could write up the agreement using our site. You also have the filing forms to use to file your divorce agreement with the court. So you would need less time from the solicitors.

Q: What if the court doesn't accept my filing forms?

A: Our site gives you all of the province specific filing forms for your jurisdiction. Your county or divorce court within the county may have a couple of additional forms that they require. These are usually minor demographic forms that are easily completed when you go to the courthouse to file the forms you create on our site. Over the years that our site has been online, we have experienced only a couple of situations where courts had additional requirements over and above the locally required forms. In those couple of incidents, we have stuck with our clients until we have gotten them what they needed. We are committed to helping our clients get what they need to divorce. You would certainly be no exception.

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Q: Can I register for this site without my spouse knowing yet?

A: Our site is designed for relatively cooperative couples who can agree on most/all of the issues of their divorce. However, you can use the site to create a draft agreement that you could present to him to see if he agrees to the terms you propose. Then, the beauty of our site is that you can keep going back and forth into the site, changing things until you have and Agreement that you are both comfortable with. Then you can print out your filing forms and submit it to Court.

To register yourself to create a draft proposal without him knowing about it until you are ready: Put your initials instead of theirs for "husband" or "wife" on the Guidelines registration page (first one when you click "order now"), put their name and address on the client information registration page (the one after you put your credit card information), then be sure to put YOUR email address in the field that is for his email address (otherwise they will get a confirmation email with the login/pw you accepted; not a good way to find out a divorce is in the works! ;) Then create your draft Agreement and fill out what you can. Get an Agreement you can both live with. Complete the filing forms. Then submit them to Court.

Q: What if we disagree on some items?

A: First, you can use the site to create a draft agreement that you could present to your spouse to see if the two of you can reach agreement on the terms of your divorce. The beauty of our site is that you have unlimited use of it, enabling you to keep coming back to make changes until you get the Agreement the way you both want it. If you have minor children, you even have access to the site for post-divorce modifications to the child portion.

Perhaps you can appeal to your spouse that that the divorce will happen and that you have found a way to make things go quicker and much less expensively. If they are willing to be reasonable and compromise to find a mutually agreeable solution, the site should work great for you.

If you cannot reach agreement through the use of the site, I can mediate any remaining issues by desktop video-conference or teleconference with the two of you (or you could secure the services of a local mediator). Our site allows you to isolate items of disagreement and specifies what your respective positions are on the issue. I can access your information, and easily see what you disagree on and help you address those issues quickly, positively and inexpensively. The unlimited use of the ODA.com website is $149. My hourly fee for the teleconference mediation would be $150. per hour.

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