How to Sign Divorce Papers

Wet Signature v. E-Signing

Filing in Person or by Mail

A "wet" signature simply means signing paper with an ink pen. If you are filing in person or by mail, file the signed original bearing a wet signature along with photocopies, usually 2-3 of each original document. The procedures will tell you the exact number of copies needed.

The court clerk expects you to file both the original and copies when filing hard copies in person or by mail. If photocopies are filed without the original, the clerk may reject the filing and/or request that the original be filed, or they may never say anything.

E-filing

If you are e-filing, an electronic, or e-signature, can be used. An e-signature can be made in any of the following ways: (1) scan a wet signature using a scanner or with a smartphone and scanning app, (2) hand-sign on a screen using an e-signing app, or (3) the signer types in their name on the signature line between two forward slashes with an "s" for signature in front of the first slash (ex. /s Jane Smith/).

When to Sign

DivorceWriter's step-by-step filing procedures tell you in exactly what order your documents need to be signed and filed. If it is an option for documents in a later step to be signed and/or filed as the same time as documents in an earlier step, the procedures will say so. If they do not, then the documents must be signed and filed in the exact order they are listed on the filing procedures.