What is online divorce?
Online divorce means arranging your divorce online, using video calling, email and phone contact with the lawyer. An online divorce does not require you to schedule a physical appointment at our office. We have extensive experience with video calling, where we are in contact mostly remotely.
Choosing online divorce does not mean that physical contact between you and the lawyer is not possible. If, during your case, online divorce in this case, you feel comfortable having one or more conversations take place physically (for example, an introductory meeting), that is of course also possible. In consultation with each other, we will find a method that best suits your situation.
When do you choose online divorce?
Online divorce can be an inexpensive and quick way to separate. It is also a good option for divorcing remotely, such as from abroad. The main difference is that you save on travel time and costs.
Online divorce involves the same steps as a normal divorce. The process of filing for divorce, counseling and consultation is the same as in a divorce where you come to our office.
Free introductory interview via the internet
Want to know if online divorce is for you? Then make an appointment for a free, no-obligation introductory consultation with us.
During the free introductory Internet consultation, you will discuss with the lawyer the situation and what the lawyer and the firm can do for you. After a global inventory of your situation, the lawyer will give you information about the possibilities, an indication of the costs and the duration of the procedure.
If you live farther away or abroad, we can also help you remotely via online separation with video calling. Wherever you live in the Netherlands or abroad, our quality and personal contact are guaranteed. You are, of course, also welcome at our law firm in Maarssen – Utrecht.
How can we help you with online divorce?
If you choose online divorce we can help you with the following issues:
- Accompanying the divorce.
This can be done through:
- Mediation (you and your partner have one lawyer-mediator);
- Unilateral divorce (you and your partner both have your own lawyer)
- Joint request (you and your partner together the same lawyer)
You fill out the divorce covenant and parenting plan yourself prior to the interview, if possible, and during a meeting we go through everything together.
- Preparing a parenting plan for minor children
- Calculating child support
- Calculating spousal support
- Dividing assets or settling prenuptial agreements. These agreements are recorded in a divorce covenant
- Issues concerning the children, such as a visitation arrangement, a judge’s substitute permission for a passport or a move (in the Netherlands or abroad)
When do you choose online divorce?
Online divorce can be an inexpensive and quick way to separate. In addition, it is a good way to divorce remotely, such as from abroad. Online divorce involves the same steps as a normal divorce.
In online divorce, the conversations are via video call. In a normal divorce, the conversations are at our office.
Benefits of online divorce:
- You do not have to come to our office, which means no travel time and no travel expenses
- Video calling allows you to use our services wherever you are in the world and as long as you have access to the Internet
- The same steps are followed as in a normal divorce
- There are no additional costs associated with online divorce.
Disadvantages of online divorce:
There is no physical contact between you and the lawyer. As long as video calling works for you, it works -given our experience with video calling- for us. You can switch to physical calls at any time.
If you do not have access to the Internet, online divorce is not possible. In that case, you can choose the regular divorce and then the conversations will take place by phone or at our office.
Haven’t had a conversation via video call before? This is no problem for our office. We will gladly explain to you how video calling works and we will invite you -before each call takes place- to a video call and all you have to do is click on the link we send you. We work with the software ZOOM or Microsoft Teams. Read more about video calling on our website.
What does online divorce cost?
Online divorce involves no additional costs. The costs for online divorce and normal divorce are the same, with the exception of travel expenses, which are therefore lower or completely eliminated.
As with a regular divorce, there are costs associated with divorce proceedings, consisting of:
- Court Fees. Court fees are costs charged by the court for the handling of your case by the judge
- The cost of the lawyer or mediator
- Bailiff’s fees. There are costs incurred by the bailiff if you and your ex-partner both have your own lawyer and the petition must be served on the other party (your ex-partner)
- In international cases, there may be the cost of translating a foreign deed
- The cost of the municipality for providing a copy of the marriage certificate
- The cost of the municipality for providing a copy of the birth certificate (for children under 18 years of age).
Would you like to know more about divorce costs? Then please contact us or read more about our fees on our website.
How long does an online divorce take?
The duration of the divorce depends on the complexity of the divorce and the possibilities in which you and your partner can reach agreements together.
You disagree
If you cannot immediately agree on the arrangements to be made, a court decision is needed on several points. If this is the case, written submissions will be made by the lawyers back and forth to the court. This may be followed by an oral hearing in court.
Divorce proceedings, in which the judge must make one or more decisions on the issues you cannot agree on, can currently take as long as a year and a half to almost two years before the divorce is entered in the civil registry.
You can make arrangements together
The quickest method of divorce is to first make arrangements with each other. You can record these agreements in a divorce covenant, which can be submitted to the court with a petition for divorce.
Together you draw up a divorce covenant (and in the case of minor children, a parenting plan). We then go over these documents to make sure that nothing is missing and that you have made the right choices in the long term. We then send these documents to the court and it takes an average of 1 to 2 months for the judge to make a decision.
An order in which the court pronounces the divorce is not official until this judgment is entered in the registers of the civil registry of the municipality where you were married.
Mediation
An average divorce with a mediator usually takes between 1 and 3 months. Of course, it depends on your options how quickly and often you and your soon-to-be (ex-)partner can take the time to discuss the divorce. In addition, it depends on your rapport.
In mediation, there are usually 3 conversations that take an average of an hour and a half. You and your soon-to-be ex-partner decide how much time there will be between sessions. The lawyer-mediator guides the conversation and makes sure that you both can tell your story. We make sure that you both get enough attention and that peace is maintained in case of tension.
If you choose mediation and you and your ex-partner agree on most points, some points still require consultation together with a lawyer. This is especially helpful if you have minor children, as you will need to make good long-term arrangements.
Can I divorce online with minor children?
An online divorce is fine with minor children. If you are divorcing with minor children, a number of agreements must be made. For example, it is mandatory to draw up a parenting plan.
In order to reach agreements together about the children, it is important that you as parents keep in mind that the best interests of the children come first.
How does online divorce work?
We always start with an introductory meeting via video call. During the introductory meeting, we look at what best suits your situation.
Fully online with video calling
Fully online with video calling, but this can also be partly physical. For example, the introductory meeting can take place physically at our office. There is little distinction between online and physical divorce. With online divorce, you save on travel time and travel expenses.
Hybrid: combination of physical and online
Choosing online divorce does not mean that physical contact between you and the lawyer is not possible. If you feel comfortable having one or more conversations take place physically during your case, online divorce in this case (for example, the introductory meeting or when agreeing on the parenting plan), that is, of course, also possible.
In consultation with each other, we find a course of action that best suits your situation.
Can you divorce online from abroad?
Yes, online divorce from abroad is possible. Dutch people living abroad can divorce in the Netherlands(International Divorce).
How can I file for an online divorce?
You can request an online divorce by contacting us by calling 030- 30 787 32 or by filling out the contact form on our website. Do you have questions about divorce with the help of a lawyer or mediator or a question about the costs of a divorce? Read more about divorce and separating on our website or contact us (by phone).
