Do Your Own Divorce

(English transcript of Haga Su Propio Divorcio)

Captions: Do Your Own Divorce

The people who appear in this video are actors and the situation portrayed is a dramatization. The legal information in this video applies only to British Columbia, Canada, and is accurate as of July 2007.

Information may become outdated as laws change.

[Laura sits in the waiting room. Rosa walks in; Laura looks up from her Spanish magazine and smiles.]

Rosa: That’s a great issue you’re reading.

Laura [seems pleasantly surprised by Rosa’s interjection]: Yes, it’s quite good.

Rosa: Have you seen the article about Whistler?

Laura: Not yet. I’m too busy reading this one about divorce.

Rosa: Oh. Divorce? Are you going through a divorce?

Laura: Well, I need all the help I can get. I’m afraid I’m about to go through it myself.

Rosa: Ah, I’m sorry to hear that.

Laura: Thanks. It’s sad. Life is like that [Laura sighs]. At least we hadn’t had kids yet when I caught him…well, anyway, the less said about that, the better. Time to decide to get on with my life.

Rosa: Good for you for moving on. Life is too short to spend it being unhappy.

Laura: That’s what I always say! I’m glad you agree. I jumped into it too quickly — you know how things are: you’re in love, your parents pressure you…

Rosa: I know what you mean. Well, a pretty girl like you, you should have your pick!

Laura: Ah, thanks for saying that. I’m looking forward to being totally free of him, and finding someone who’s right for me, someone I choose entirely for myself.

Rosa: Absolutely.

Laura: But I have to say, I’m not looking forward to the lawyers, the courthouse, all that money…

Rosa: Doesn’t he want to get divorced?

Laura: Yes, he’s all for it.

Rosa: Then why do you have to look for a lawyer?

Laura: I thought you always had to hire a lawyer to go to court when you got divorced.

Rosa: No, not at all. You don’t have kids, so you can’t have any disagreements over custody, and that means you can do the paperwork yourselves.

Laura: I had no idea! But how do you know so much? Have you gone through this too?

Rosa: No, I work for an organization called the Legal Services Society, which many people know as “Legal aid.” We have a free self-help guide that takes people through the process of filing the papers. Yes; anyone who reads English can use it for free on our website.

Laura: I had no idea it could be that simple.

Rosa: Yes, as long as one of you has lived here for a year, you can file the papers yourself without having a lawyer.

Laura: I’ll go do it right away.

Rosa: I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until you and your husband have been apart for a year.

Laura: A whole year?

Rosa: Yes, I’m afraid so.

Laura: Well, I’m not in any big hurry to get married again, so I suppose that should be fine.

Rosa: And the time you have been separated from each other counts.

Laura: Great, that will give me time to buy a computer, anyway!

Rosa: You don’t have to; you can go to something called a LawLINK kiosk. They have free computers, and at certain times, there’s someone there who can answer your questions and help you fill in the forms. Or you could call LawLINE. It’s a phone service that gives people free legal information and, sometimes, advice, if their income is low enough.

Laura: I didn’t realize there was free anything when it comes to the law! That’s so wonderful.

[Rosa smiles and reaches into her briefcase.]

Rosa: My name is Rosa.

Laura: It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rosa.

Rosa: Here is my card, and here’s another card with the phone numbers for LawLINE and the LSS Call Centre. They can give you free information and tell you where to find one of those free computers.

[Laura takes the cards.]

Laura: Thank you so much, Rosa! You have made my day!

Receptionist: Mrs. Delgado, the doctor is ready for you now.

Rosa [to the receptionist]: I’ll be right in. [To Laura] I’m glad I could help! I hope everything goes well. But remember: even if you two don’t get along, the people at that phone number can give you information about what to do if you need it.

Laura: Thank you again for all your help. Who ever thought I’d leave the dentist’s office happy?

[Rosa and Laura laugh together.]

Rosa: I wish I could say the same! It’s my pleasure. Good luck!

[Rosa heads through the door to see the dentist. Laura has an expression of hope on her face while she is looking at the cards she holds in her hands.]

Narrator: This video does not contain all the information you need. There are important time limits for asking for spousal support or dividing property. You should get legal advice as soon as possible. See the Family Law website for more information.

Captions:
www.familylaw.lss.bc.ca

Produced by the Legal Services Society. Thank you to the Law Foundation of BC, whose generous funding made this video possible.

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