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Welcome to Legal Aid of West Virginia’s FREE Guided Self-Help Forms. The LawHelp system will guide you through the process of creating the court papers you need to file your own divorce or custody case in West Virginia family court.
The system is easy. You will go through a series of screens with questions about you and your case. All you do is answer the questions on the screen, then move to the next screen. When you’re finished, the LawHelp system will insert your information into standard form court documents ready for you to print and use.
Here is some basic information about which forms you need to fill out. If you need more information you may want to read the Divorce Petitioner’s Packet Instructions or the Divorce Respondent’s Packet Instructions.
Form: | When to fill it out: |
---|---|
Acceptance of Service | If the person responding to the divorce (Respondent) voluntarily accepts the divorce papers or picks them up from the Circuit Clerk’s Office |
Affidavit of Unknown or Out of State Residency | If you do not know the address of the Respondent or the Respondent lives out of state |
Affidavit to Withhold Identifying Information> | If you believe the safety, liberty or health of you or your children would be at risk if the other side would learn your address and telephone number from the forms |
BCSE Application & Income Withholding | If children are involved, or either party is asking for spousal support |
Certificate of Service | If you need to send a copy of forms to the other side. NOTE: You do not fill this out if you are filing the Divorce Petition (Petitioner). You should fill it out for all other paperwork after the Petition is filed. |
Civil Case Information Sheet | In all divorces |
Divorce Petition and Answer | In all divorces |
Financial Statement– Guided Form is not available but this links to the WV Supreme Court Form. | In all divorces |
Motion to Adopt Individual Proposed Parenting Plan | If children are involved |
Notice of Hearing | If you have a hearing date and the Family Court asks you to send “Notice of Hearing” to the other side. |
Order of Publication | If you cannot serve the Respondent in person |
Parenting Plan (Instructions) | If children are involved |
Vital Statistics | In all divorces |
Waiver for Military Servicemembers | This form should be reviewed by military servicemembers in active service |
Worksheet for Individual Proposed Parenting Plan | If children are involved |
Here is some basic information about which forms you need to fill out. If you need more information you should read the Custody Modification Packet Instructions or talk to a lawyer.
Form: | When to fill out: |
---|---|
Acceptance of Service | If the person responding to the custody case (Respondent) voluntarily accepts the papers or picks them up from the Circuit Clerk’s Office |
Affidavit of Unknown or Out of State Residency | If you do not know the address of the Respondent or the Respondent lives out of state |
Affidavit to Withhold Identifying Information | If you believe the safety, liberty or health of you or your children would be at risk if the other side would learn your address and telephone number from the forms |
BCSE Application & Income Withholding | If children are involved |
Certificate of Service | If you need to send a copy of forms to the other side. NOTE: You do not fill this out if you are filing the Custody Modification Petition (Petitioner). You should fill it out for all other paperwork after you file the Petition. |
Civil Case Information Sheet | If you are the person filing the Custody Modification case. |
Financial Statement– Guided Form is not available but this links to the WV Supreme Court Form. | In all custody cases |
Motion to Adopt Individual Proposed Parenting Plan | In all custody cases |
Petition for Modification | In all custody modification cases |
Notice of Hearing | If you have a hearing date and the Family Court asks you to send “Notice of Hearing” to the other side. |
Order of Publication | If you cannot serve the Respondent in person |
Parenting Plan (Instructions) | In all custody cases |
Waiver for Military Servicemembers | This form should be reviewed by military servicemembers in active service |
Worksheet for Individual Proposed Parenting Plan | In all custody cases |