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Divo rcing Yo urse lf fro m the Do m e stic Re la tio ns Clie nt
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Ro na ld W. N e ls o n

The chances are good that something will come up a few years after you thought you were finished with a domestic relations case. If you don't want to get dragged back into it, consider formally withdrawing when you have finished what you wanted to do.
Rona ld W. N e lson is a par t n e r wit h Ros e , Ne l s on & Boot h , in Ove r l an d P ar k, Kan s as . Th is ar t icl e is bas e d on a pape r t h e aut h or pr e par e d f or an Augus t 2001 s e min ar s pon s or e d by t h e ABA's Famil y Law Se ct ion .

UN LIKE MAN Y OTHER t ype s o f c ivil l it ig a t io n , d o me s t ic r e l a t io n s c a s e s ma y n o t e n d wit h t h e f il in g o f a " f in a l " d e c r e e . As t h e c a s e n e a r s wh a t a ppe a r s t o b e it s c o mpl e t io n , t h e d o me s t ic r e l a t io n s a t t o r n e y wil l ma k e s u r e t h a t va r io u s t it l e d a s s e t s h a ve b e e n r e g is t e r e d in t h e n a me o f t h e pa r t y t o wh o m t h e pa r t ic u l a r a s s e t h a s b e e n a s s ig n e d , a s s u r e t h a t d o me s t ic r e l a t io n s o r d e r s a r e pr e pa r e d a n d s e n t t o t h e a d min is t r a t o r o f a n y pe n s io n , pr o f it s h a r in g , o r o t h e r r e t ir e me n t a c c o u n t s f o r a ppr o va l a n d t r a n s f e r in t o s e pa r a t e a c c o u n t s f o r e a c h pa r t y t o wh o m t h e y a r e a s s ig n e d , a n d ma k e s u r e t h a t a n y o t h e r d o c u me n t s pe r t a in in g t o t r a n s f e r o f o wn e r s h ip o f wh a t u s e d t o b e ma r it a l a s s e t s h a ve b e e n c o mpl e t e d . Wit h t h e c o mpl e t io n o f t h e s e a c t s , ma n y d o me s t ic r e l a t io n s a t t o r n e ys s e n d t h e ir c l ie n t s a s t a n d a r d l e t t e r wh ic h in f o r ms t h e c l ie n t o f a d d it io n a l s t e ps t h e c l ie n t s h o u l d t a k e t o a s s u r e t h a t o t h e r a s s e t s a s s ig n e d t o t h e c l ie n t a r e t it l e d pr o pe r l y in t h e c l ie n t 's n a me , t h a t t h e o t h e r pa r t y's n a me h a s b e e n r e mo ve d f r o m a n y o pe n a s s e t a c c o u n t s , t h a t a n y c h a r g e o r c r e d it a c c o u n t s n o l o n g e r n a me b o t h pa r t ie s a s o wn e r s a n d l ia b l e pa r t ie s , a n d t h a t b e n e f ic ia r ie s o n l if e in s u r a n c e , h e a l t h in s u r a n c e , a n d a s s e t a c c o u n t s a r e a ppr o pr ia t e l y c h a n g e d . WHEN "FIN AL" MEAN SSOMETHIN GELSE · Wh e n t h e c a s e is c l o s e d a n d t h e c l ie n t s t e ps o u t o f t h e a t t o r n e y's o f f ic e , it is ve r y l ik e l y t h a t s o me k in d o f f u r t h e r a c t io n wil l o c c u r b e t we e n t h e pa r t ie s . A t r u is m in d o me s t ic r e l a t io n s c a s e s is t h a t n o ma t t e r h o w a g r e e a b l e o r d is a g r e e a b l e t h e pa r t ie s ma y b e a t t h e t ime t h e " f in a l " d e c r e e is e n t e r e d , n e w is s u e s ma y a r is e b e t we e n t h e pa r t ie s , a n d mo t io n s ma y b e

f il e d r e g a r d in g t h o s e is s u e s a f t e r t h e c a s e is f in a l iz e d ­e s pe c ia l l y in s it u a t io n s in wh ic h t h e pa r t ie s h a d min o r c h il d r e n o f t h e ir r e l a t io n s h ip. It is a l s o l ik e l y t h a t l e g a l a c t io n a r is in g f r o m t h o s e ma t t e r s ma y n o t c o me a b o u t f o r mo n t h s o r ye a r s a f t e r e n t r y o f t h e f in a l d e c r e e , a n d t h a t , b e t we e n t h e t ime o f f in a l b il l in g a n d t h e f il in g o f a n y n e w mo t io n , t h e a t t o r n e y wil l h a ve l o s t c o n t a c t wit h t h e c l ie n t . Th e c o u r t s o f ma n y s t a t e s h a ve b a s e d t h e ir r u l e s o f c ivil pr o c e d u r e o n s o me f o r m o f t h e Fe d e r a l Ru l e s o f Civil P r o c e d u r e . Ru l e 5 (b )(1 ) o f t h o s e Ru l e s pr o vid e s t h a t " Se r vic e u n d e r Ru l e s 5 (a ) a n d 7 7 (d ) o n a pa r t y r e pr e s e n t e d b y a n a t t o r n e y is ma d e o n t h e a t t o r n e y u n l e s s t h e c o u r t o r d e r s s e r vic e o n t h e pa r t y." As a r e s u l t o f t h is pr o vis io n , a n a t t o r n e y c o n t in u e s t o s e r ve a s a n a g e n t f o r s e r vic e o f pl e a d in g s a n d o t h e r d o c u me n t s in t h e c a s e , e ve n if a " f in a l " d e c r e e h a s b e e n e n t e r e d , u n l e s s o t h e r c o u r t r u l e s a ppl y. Th u s , if a n a t t o r n e y d o e s n o t wit h d r a w a s t h e a t t o r n e y o f r e c o r d f o r a pa r t y a t t h e c o mpl e t io n o f a c a s e , t h a t a t t o r n e y ma y b e s e r ve d wit h d o c u me n t s o r pl e a d in g s in t h e c a s e f o r e ve r . Su c h a f a il u r e t o o b t a in a n o r d e r a l l o win g wit h d r a wa l wh e n t h e a t t o r n e y h a s c o mpl e t e d a l l a c t io n s n e c e s s a r y in a pa r t ic u l a r e n g a g e me n t ma y j e o pa r d iz e t h e c l ie n t 's in t e r e s t s if a po s t -d e c r e e mo t io n is f il e d b y t h e a d ve r s e pa r t y, o r po s t -d e c r e e o r d e r s a r e s e r ve d o n t h e a t t o r n e y wit h t h e a s s u mpt io n t h e a t t o r n e y wil l f o r wa r d t h o s e t o t h e c l ie n t . Th e a t t o r n e y ma y b e t h e o n l y pe r s o n s e r ve d wit h t h a t po s t -d e c r e e mo t io n o r o r d e r , o r t h e a d ve r s e pa r t y ma y h a ve n o o t h e r wa y o f c o n t a c t in g t h e c l ie n t a g a in s t wh o m t h e mo t io n is f il e d . If t h e a t t o r n e y h a s h a d n o c o n t a c t wit h t h e c l ie n t f o r a n u mb e r o f mo n t h s o r ye a r s , t h e r e ma y b e s u b s t a n t ia l r is k t h a t t h e c l ie n t wil l n o t t ime l y f in d o u t a b o u t t h e f il in g o f t h e mo t io n o r o r d e r . Th e f a c t t h a t s e r vic e c a n b e ma d e o n a n a t t o r n e y wh o h a s n o t wit h d r a wn a s a t t o r n e y o f r e c o r d a l s o e xpo s e s t h e a t t o r n e y t o s ig n if ic a n t l ia b il it y if a mo t io n is f il e d a n d t h e a t t o r n e y is u n a b l e t o c o n vin c e t h e c o u r t t h a t t h e pa r t y f il in g t h e mo t io n s h o u l d b e r e q u ir e d t o r e -f il e t h e mo t io n , o r r e -s e r ve t h e mo t io n o n t h e pa r t y t o a s s u r e a c t u a l n o t ic e o f t h e n e w a l l e g a t io n s . Be c a u s e o f t h is e xpo s u r e , it is r e c o mme n d e d t h a t wit h t h e f in a l c l ie n t in s t r u c t io n l e t t e r , t h e c l ie n t a l s o b e in f o r me d t h a t t h e a t t o r n e y wil l wit h d r a w a s c o u n s e l o f r e c o r d , s o t h a t t h e s e pr o t e c t io n s a r e a f f o r d e d . Al t h o u g h t h e r e a r e s o me o c c a s io n s wh e n it is b e t t e r f o r a n a t t o r n e y t o r e ma in in t h e c a s e e ve n t h o u g h t h e c a s e is b e l ie ve d c o mpl e t e , t h e b e t t e r po l ic y is t o wit h d r a w f r o m c a s e s a t c o mpl e t io n u n l e s s s o me s pe c if ic r e a s o n t o r e ma in c a n b e id e n t if ie d . [DATE] CLIENT CLIENT ADDRESS CLIENT CITY Personal and Confidential

Re: CASE HEADING CASE FILE NUMBER Ou r f il e De a r CLIENT: En c l o s e d pl e a s e f in d a f il e d -s t a mpe d , c e r t if ie d c o py o f t h e De c r e e o f Divo r c e in t h is ma t t e r wh ic h h a ve b e e n r e vie we d a n d a ppr o ve d b y t h e Dis t r ic t Co u r t j u d g e a s s ig n e d t o yo u r c a s e . Th e s e a r e impo r t a n t d o c u me n t s a n d s h o u l d b e k e pt wit h yo u r b ir t h c e r t if ic a t e a n d o t h e r impo r t a n t pa pe r s . I h a ve a l s o pr o vid e d a n a d d it io n a l c e r t if ie d c o py o f t h e d e c r e e s o t h a t yo u c a n c o n t a c t a n a t t o r n e y n e a r yo u t o h a ve t h is De c r e e a n d Se t t l e me n t Ag r e e me n t f il e d in a c o u r t o f r e c o r d in t h e s t a t e in wh ic h yo u a r e n o w l ivin g . By f il in g t h is ma t t e r o f r e c o r d in t h e s t a t e in wh ic h yo u a r e n o w l ivin g u n d e r t h e Un if o r m Ch il d Cu s t o d y J u r is d ic t io n Ac t , t h e c o u r t s o f t h a t s t a t e wil l b e a b l e t o e n f o r c e t h e pr o vis io n s o f t h e pa r e n t in g a g r e e me n t a s if it we r e a n o r d e r o f t h a t s t at e . Th e f il in g o f t h is De c r e e o f Divo r c e f in is h e s my in vo l ve me n t in yo u r c a s e . We h a ve pr e vio u s l y o b t a in e d t h e s ig n e d t r a n s f e r o f t it l e f r o m yo u r f o r me r h u s b a n d a n d h a ve pr o vid e d yo u wit h t h e o r ig in a l o f t h a t d o c u me n t . We h a ve a l s o pr e vio u s l y f o r wa r d e d t o yo u t h e q u it c l a im d e e d t h a t yo u r f o r me r h u s b a n d 's a t t o r n e y pr e pa r e d a n d pr e s e n t e d t o u s f o r yo u r s ig n a t u r e . I b e l ie ve yo u h a ve a l r e a d y s ig n e d t h a t d o c u me n t a n d f o r wa r d e d it t o u s b u t if yo u h a ve n o t , pl e a s e d o t h a t a s s o o n a s po s s ib l e . I h o pe yo u r e xpe r ie n c e wit h t h e l e g a l s ys t e m h a s b e e n a s pa in l e s s a s po s s ib l e g ive n t h e c ir c u ms t a n c e s . I we l c o me a n y s u g g e s t io n s a s t o h o w o u r s ys t e m a n d s e r vic e c a n b e impr o ve d . Yo u s h o u l d b e a wa r e t h a t a l t h o u g h t h e d e c r e e (t o g e t h e r wit h t h e s e t t l e me n t a g r e e me n t ) d ivid e s a l l t h e pr o pe r t y b e t we e n yo u a n d yo u r f o r me r s po u s e , yo u s h o u l d b e c a r e f u l t o ma k e s u r e t h a t a l l yo u r a s s e t s (s u c h a s pe n s io n , pr o f it s h a r in g pl a n s a n d o t h e r r e t ir e me n t a c c o u n t s , l if e in s u r a n c e po l ic ie s , a n d f in a n c ia l a c c o u n t s ) a r e in yo u r n a me o n l y a n d d o n o t in c l u d e yo u r f o r me r s po u s e a s e it h e r a n a me d j o in t h o l d e r o r b e n e f ic ia r y o f t h a t pr o pe r t y. Fu r t h e r , yo u s h o u l d b e c a r e f u l t o ma k e s u r e a l l c r e d it c a r d s o r o t h e r d e b t s n o l o n g e r h a ve b o t h o f yo u a s l ia b l e pa r t ie s . Yo u s h o u l d c o n t a c t t h o s e c r e d it o r s a n d a s s u r e yo u r s e l f t h a t t h e r e s po n s ib l e pa r t y o n t h e a c c o u n t h a s b e e n c h a n g e d a s pr o vid e d in t h e d e c r e e . Th is is e s pe c ia l l y impo r t a n t if t h e r e is a n a c c o u n t e it h e r in yo u r n a me o n l y o r in t h e n a me s o f yo u a n d yo u r f o r me r s po u s e f o r wh ic h yo u r f o r me r s po u s e h a s a g r e e d t o b e r e s po n s ib l e . If yo u n a me r e ma in s o n t h o s e a c c o u n t s , yo u ma y b e r e s po n s ib l e e ve n t h o u g h t h e c o u r t h a s d ivid e d t h e d e b t s in t h e c a s e o f a d e f a u l t b y yo u r f o r me r s po u s e . Because our involvement is now completed and we will be closing our file, you may receive a Notice of Withdrawal from this office requesting that we be allowed to withdraw as your counsel of record in this case. If you receive such a Notice, please do not be alarmed. O ur office has a policy of withdrawing from cases of an ongoing nature (such as custody or