Hi all,<P>I thought this day would never come but I am having to compile all the papers for a divorce proceeding. I feel mortified and unable to take the first step.<P>My WS has agreed to a no contest divorce (just 2.5 yrs of marriage & no children). Also, MN is a no-fault state. <P>Should I fill out the papers myself or should I go to a lawyer? She is not getting one and I can't afford one either right now.<P>Anyone in MN who has gone through this? I really don't have any energy left in me and would really like to minimize the effort on this.

Hi JT,<P>Florida is a no-fault divorce state, too. I'll tell you what I know from here, and maybe you'll be able to point yourself in the right direction up where you are. My husband and I at one time considered filing ourselves, or pro se. There are pro se advocates at the courthouse who will help you fill out the forms, but NOT answer any legal questions pertaining to them. Through our county courthouse site, I found links to Florida's family law statutes and downloaded all the ones pertaining to divorce (they were general and specific, but not all encompensing). Then I found where I could download all the documents for free (Adobe Acrobat). There are paralegal offices all over town who will help you fill out forms for a nominal fee, and also help you sequence the steps to the divorce process.<P>Certainly, if you've been married for a short time, no kids, little assets, a pro se divorce makes a lot of sense. I don't know anyone personally who has done this, though. Here's a self-help law site: <A HREF="http://www.nolo.com/index.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.nolo.com/index.html</A> <P>Good luck,<BR>Nell