my ex filed for divorce. have questions about the papers he wants me to sign.

[april77]

my husband filed to divorce we agreed i would get custody of our daughter and he gets visitation. so i went to his lawyers office to read the papers. he showed me a decree of divorce (which was writen up exactly as we had agreed) and asked me to sign it.. and to sign a waiver of notice and entry of appearance that stated i had received a copy of the complaint for divorce and i consent to the case being heard and decided without further notice to me. i did not sign bc i had not recieved a copy of the complaint. later i was served by mail and along with the decree of divorce that i had previosly read was the complaint for divorce. in the complaint he is asking for custody and be awarded child support and said there debts that he wants me to pay. i dont understand. how can he file these papers like that. the complaint and the deree do not match up at all. which one does the judge make his desion from. now my ex is angry at me saying i am costing him more money if i contest it. and swears he dont want custody. he is in the military stationed in colorado and i live in arkansas. he filed for the divorce in the county where i live.

I would make sure you have a lawyer review it all. It sounds like games are being played.

I'm not sure I understand. A divorce decree is a final judgment for divorce. A divorce complaint is just getting the ball rolling.

He can draw papers up just like that if you did not play the game the way he wanted you to play it. You are under no obligation to sign anything, especially if it is in HIS attorney's office. You and your attorney should be meeting at a neutral location, such as one of the conference rooms at the district court where the divorce action is filed.

Of course he's whining that "you" are costing him more money. You were supposed to do what he wanted you to do, and now he's attempting guilt trips in order to get you to do what he wants. Don't fall for that trick. He's just frustrated that it wasn't as easy to fool you as he thought it was going to be.

If he has filed a divorce complaint and you have been served, answer the complaint and then consult with your attorney on how to proceed. Never, without your attorney present, meet with your husband and his attorney on their territory.

Don't sign any documents until they have been reviewed by your attorney and fully agreed to by you.