how an attorney changed the outcome of my lawsuit

Posted on: 25 April 2015

Getting divorced can be messy and ultimately you end up with the desire to leave the whole thing behind. However, you usually end up with a stack of divorce papers that you might just want to burn after the process of your divorce, especially if it was a messy one. It is important that you keep these documents around, because they do have a purpose. Here's what those purposes are:

• Provides Proof: First off, the divorce certificate is the document that shows your divorce was legalized. It is important that the state recognizes this to ensure that you are not connected in any way with your ex-spouse. After all, you don't want their financial situation in the future to end up affecting yours if you are no longer a couple. 
• Allows You to Remarry: If you ever end up getting remarried in the future, these divorce documents are important. Most of the time, the court will want to see proof of the divorce to guarantee that it was legalized and that this future marriage is legally allowed to take place. You don't want to not have these divorce papers around when you plan on getting remarried since it can end up taking weeks for you to request new documentation of the divorce, which will stall your new marriage from becoming final. 
• Allows You to Change Your Name: If you took your ex-spouse's last name when you were married and you want to change your last name back to your maiden name after the divorce, you're going to need your divorce papers. This will allow Social Security to recognize that your name change is valid, which can make the process of the name change a whole lot faster. Also, keep in mind that you may need the certified copy of your divorce certificate, which is the certificate with the raised seal. This is because typically, Social Security will want to see the original certificate instead of the copied, uncertified one.

If you have any questions about what paperwork needs to be saved, you can ask your divorce attorney. Also, if you have any trouble obtaining divorce papers that you need in the future, you can have your attorney help you out. This is especially helpful in an emergency where you would need the paperwork quickly since your attorney can help speed up the process of obtaining these documents and use his or her connections to surpass certain steps in the process if needed.