Contested Divorce Questionnaire

Divorce, Separation, and Annulment Questionnaire

Please answer what you can. If a question does not apply to you, leave it blank. Your answers are confidential.

Step 1 of 7 - Getting Started

Phone
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This questionnaire covers divorce, legal separation, and annulment. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Your answers are confidential and go straight to our legal team. If you have any questions while completing it, email Steven Harris directly at stevenharris@theharrisfirmllc.com.
Which are you seeking?*
Do you and your spouse agree on everything (property, debts, and anything involving children)?*
If you agree on everything, this form will take you through our flat fee uncontested divorce questions. If not, it will ask what we need for a contested case.
Good news: since you and your spouse agree on everything, you likely qualify for our flat fee uncontested divorce. The rest of this form will ask the questions we need for the uncontested process, and your consultation is a free phone consultation with the owner, Steven Harris. If anything changes, we will point you to the right process.
Preferred Method of Payment (You DO NOT Have to Make a Payment When You Submit the Questionnaire)*
Do you want your documents emailed or mailed to you for your review?
How did you hear about our law firm? Thank you for your feedback.
If a referral, by whom? If other, please tell us.

The Marriage
Marriage Date*
Place of Marriage (city, county, and state)*
Separation Date*
Where were you living together when you separated (county and state)?*
Which county do you want to file in?*
If you are not sure yet, choose the Alabama county you live in.
Is the Wife currently pregnant?*
Wife's maiden name, and does she wish to return to it after the divorce?
Have either party filed a PFA (Protection From Abuse) Order against the other party?
Was any child born during the marriage who is not the husband's child, or is the wife currently pregnant by someone other than the husband?
This matters because it changes the paperwork required. If yes, a paternity affidavit or other steps may be needed, and Mr. Harris will discuss it with you during your free consultation before quoting your fee.
Briefly, what led to the separation, and what are the main disagreements (if any)?
Annulment
Why do you believe the marriage should be annulled? (Check all that apply)
- Fraud or misrepresentation that induced the marriage
- One spouse was already married to someone else (bigamy)
- One spouse was underage without proper consent
- Mental incapacity or intoxication at the time of the marriage
- Duress or force
- The spouses are too closely related
- Other
Annulment treats the marriage as invalid from the start and is only available on limited grounds.
Please explain the circumstances, including when you discovered the problem.

Children
Number of children of this marriage currently under 19 years old*
Each child's name, date of birth, and who they are living with now
What custody arrangement are you requesting?
All addresses where the children have lived in the last 5 years
Does either spouse have preexisting child support or alimony payments from another case? If so, please provide the amount ordered, who it is paid to, and the county and state of the prior case.
Who covers the children's health insurance (name of the insurance company), who pays for it, and how much per month for the children's portion? Also list your monthly work related childcare or daycare costs and who pays them.
If the parent who will pay child support is currently unemployed: their previous employer's name and address, average monthly salary in their last year of employment, and job title.
If either party is unemployed, the minimum wage amount is used when calculating child support.
Each child's full Social Security Number
Needed for the court's child support forms in an uncontested divorce.
Since you have children under 19, we need an estimate of each party's gross monthly income (before taxes).
Child support in an uncontested divorce is calculated from both incomes.
Who is paying child support to whom? Are you agreeing to the amount calculated under the Alabama child support guidelines, or a different agreed amount?
There cannot be no child support paid. If you are not sure of the amount, we will calculate it under the guidelines from your incomes.
Should the child support come out of the paying parent's paycheck automatically, or be paid directly to the other parent?
Who will claim the children as dependents for tax purposes?
Please describe your agreed custody arrangement. The usual arrangement is joint legal custody with one parent having primary physical custody, but tell us what you both have agreed to.
Standard visitation will be listed in the documents, with a paragraph stating the parties are allowed to agree to other times. Is standard visitation okay, or do you want a different arrangement (such as joint equal time, or long distance visitation if a parent lives far away)?

Property and Debts
Approximate values are fine. Good estimates let us start, and the discovery process fills in the rest.
The marital residence: address, approximate value, mortgage balance and lender, and who should keep it
If one of you is keeping the home, tell us who, whether that person will refinance the mortgage into their own name, and whether the other's name will be removed by quit claim deed. If the home will be sold, tell us how the proceeds will be split.
Other real property or land, and how you want it divided
Vehicles owned (year, make, model), and who keeps which
Please include the VIN for any vehicle owned by both parties, and note whether a title will be put into the other party's name.
Retirement accounts and 401(k)s: whose they are, approximate values, and whether they will be divided
Stocks, bonds, business interests, and any significant gifts or inheritances received during the marriage
Checking and savings accounts (institutions and approximate balances)
Joint debts (credit cards, loans) and who should be responsible for each
Please list any additional marital personal property or other assets that you are dividing and what you have agreed about who gets what.
If you run out of room, you can email us the rest later.
Alimony and spousal support: are you both waiving alimony, or will one spouse pay spousal support to the other? If paying, who pays whom, the monthly amount, and how long it will last.
Most uncontested divorces waive alimony both ways, but whatever you have agreed must be spelled out in the agreement.
Does either spouse have retirement accounts (such as a 401(k), pension, military retirement, or TSP), and are you dividing any retirement between you in this divorce?
If you are dividing retirement, an uncontested divorce requires a separate court order called a QDRO and an additional fee applies, which Mr. Harris will quote during your free consultation. If each of you is simply keeping your own retirement, just say so here.
Your approximate monthly household expenses

What Happens Next

Submit Your Questionnaire

Our team reviews your answers and contacts you at the phone number and email you provide, usually within one business day.

Your Consultation

If you and your spouse agree on everything, you likely qualify for our flat fee uncontested divorce, and those consultations are always free phone consultations with the owner, Steven Harris. If your case is contested, or you are seeking a legal separation or annulment, your consultation is with one of our experienced family law attorneys and a consultation fee applies. Our staff will quote the consultation fee and retainer when you call.

Payment and Getting Started

Once you have your quote and are ready to proceed, pay the retainer online or at any office. From there, most communication can happen by phone and email, so you do not have to take off work to move your case forward.

Email Steven Directly
Make a Payment

A Message from the Owner, Steven A. Harris

Steven A. Harris, Owner, The Harris Firm LLC

Thank you for considering our firm for something this important. I am Steven A. Harris, the owner of The Harris Firm LLC. You can learn more about me and my background on my profile page, and you are always welcome to email me directly at stevenharris@theharrisfirmllc.com with any question. Below is a quick guide to what our firm does and the best way to reach the right person for each type of matter, so when you see free phone consultations with me, you know exactly who you will be talking to.

Family Law (Our Attorneys)

Our attorneys handle family law matters across Alabama, including uncontested divorce, contested divorce, child custody, child support, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, adoptions, and protection from abuse cases. For most family law matters, call the office nearest you to schedule a consultation, since some consultations are free and some require a paid consultation. Uncontested divorce consultations are always free phone consultations with me.

Probate (Our Attorneys)

Our attorneys also handle probate matters, including probate of uncontested estates, small estate summary distributions, name changes, and guardianships and conservatorships. For most probate matters, call the office nearest you to schedule a consultation, since some consultations are free and some require a paid consultation.

Estate Planning and Personal Injury (Steven A. Harris, Owner)

I personally handle all estate planning matters, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives and living wills, property deeds, and gift letters. I also personally handle personal injury cases, including vehicle accidents, trucking accidents, wrongful death, and mass tort cases (see our current mass tort case list). For estate planning or an injury case, email me directly and I will schedule a free phone consultation with you.

Our clients have made us one of Alabama’s most reviewed family law firms. We would be honored to earn your trust too.