Who Is The Plaintiff In The Divorce?
There are always two parties in a divorce: the Plaintiff and the Defendant.
- Plaintiff - This is the person who files for the divorce and is the first to present a case
- Defendant - This is the person that is served divorce papers after Plaintiff has filed for divorce
Does it Matter Who Files for Divorce First?
In most divorces, it does not matter if you serve the divorce summons or your spouse does. The courts do not give you more or less because you or your spouse filed. You are not automatically perceived as the victim or the wronged spouse because you filed first. You will incur the expense of filing and having your spouse served, but otherwise, the court fees will not be much different, with a few minor differences along the way.
The situations where it does make a difference are if you and your spouse live in two different counties, then the person who files first can choose the county, but even that may have a few exceptions based upon where the children primarily reside. Another advantage of filing first is that it stops the future accumulation of retirement assets because they are valued at the date of filing the divorce summons. Certain other assets such as a business are often valued as of the filing date, but there are exceptions in that general rule.
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Automatic Orders
Once the summons is filed, "automatic orders" are in effect for the Plaintiff and then apply to Defendant once the Defendant is served. These orders prohibit canceling health insurance, prohibit taking money from retirement accounts, and borrowing or putting new mortgages on marital property. The "automatic orders" have other provisions as well and must be followed.
Will You go to Trial?
Should your case go to trial, and most do not get tried, the Plaintiff has to proceed first, and therefore your attorney will initially have more work to do to prepare for trial. However, I would never advise a client to wait with filing because of this aspect.
Ultimately, this decision should be discussed with your attorney, who can guide you and evaluate the benefits of filing or not filing. Your attorney may advise you to file if you need to obtain a temporary child support order, spousal support, custody, exclusive use of the home or vehicle.
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