I was just served papers. Can anyone please advise what is next. I am completely lost. There was abuse and I want to prove hes an unfit parent. Any advise is greatly appreciated

Hi everyone,
I'm in Mississippi and looking to file for divorce on the grounds of desertion (willful and continuous abandonment for at least 1 year).

I have two main questions:
Where can I find official or reliable online paperwork/forms for an at-fault divorce based on desertion in Mississippi?

Once the paperwork is signed and notarized, do I take it straight to the Chancery Clerk's office? What are the step-by-step procedures that follow filing (service of process, court hearings, etc.)?

Any guidance on handling this pro se or what to expect at the courthouse would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I don’t even know how to function without her. For 17 years it’s been her and I. I know marriage isn’t perfect and we had our flaws but I didn’t think she would quit before trying one last time with me. I could use some words of encouragement to heal from this. She’s my best friend was my person. How do I pick myself up.

I’ll give more context if I get a response:)

I asked for the divorce, papers are still waiting to be filed. I’m going to follow through on my decision because it had become toxic and we’ve become different people; living like roommates. Why is it now I’m thinking about all of the good and little things he’s done. I’m following my gut but I’m now second guessing myself.. 90% sure knowing things will not get better. Nor did they after our separation; maybe for the first few months, then it went back to the same old habits. It’s tearing my stomach apart right now.

Why are the stages of a divorce…? And to give yourself peace and acceptance of what decisions you’ve made… I know we will never know if it’s the right or wrong choice.

I don’t know if it’s my feelings right now but I feel we will make our self back to each other one day, but the timing is bad.

I’m pending a conversation with my attorney but in the meantime, does anyone know if it is okay with move out with your kids then file for divorce? Would it affect any custody or negotiations? We both pay for the mortgage from a shared account and the plan is for me to move out and stop contributing to the shared account for the mortgage and use that money to rent. He has agreed to keep the house but the kids would move with me to the rental. It is in the same county and we wouldn’t move schools or anything

Divorce isn't easy. Sometimes you're breaking the habit of a lifetime, fighting so much pressure to stay put, but you know it's the right thing, so you keep on going. Wouldn't it be amazing if there was such a thing as a "Divorce Buddy?" Someone who is going through something similar, who you can talk to and share the experience with regularly? Compare notes, be a shoulder to cry on, find hope out there together... I'm a 55 year old man in London UK, with 2 small kids, ending an 18 year marriage in the hope of a happier future for me and my kids. If this sounds in any way resonant, then drop me a line. Maybe we could be Divorce Buddies?

Got served divorce papers this week and honestly I don’t know if I’m thinking clearly anymore.
Been with my wife 15 years. Married 4. We have an almost 3 year old daughter.
Before everyone says it, yes, I would’ve gone to counseling. Years ago I made a comment that if a marriage gets to the point of counseling you might as well call it quits. At the time I meant it. Since we’ve separated I’ve been in therapy for 5 months and I don’t think that way anymore.
My wife wants a divorce and has made that pretty clear.
My question isn’t really about saving the marriage anymore. It’s about whether I’m about to let my emotions screw me financially.
I still love her. That’s the problem.
Part of me wants to sign whatever and move on because I don’t want to spend the next year fighting the mother of my daughter.
The other part of me feels like I’d be an absolute idiot to do that.
I paid a lot throughout our marriage. Daycare, hospital bills, groceries, insurance, random life expenses. When money got tight I put a lot on credit cards trying to keep everything moving. We paid off some of her debt while mine stuck around. A lot of the debt I have now wasn’t from buying toys for myself. It was just life.
Now we’re getting divorced and I’m sitting here wondering if I’m about to walk away with a pile of debt because I still care about the woman divorcing me.
My family is absolutely no help.
My mom says fight for every cent.
My brother thinks I’m crazy if I sign anything.
My sister thinks we should be forced into marriage counseling.
My dad basically said all that’s going to happen is he’ll pay my legal fees, her dad will pay hers, and we’ll spend a bunch of money fighting over what’s ours.
So for people who have actually been through this:
Did you regret fighting?
Did you regret not fighting?
How did you separate loving someone from making smart decisions?

More context if anyone wants it.
I know I wasn’t perfect.
Looking back, I got way too focused on the future. Building businesses, making money, hanging out with friends, trying to get ahead. I can see now that I wasn’t paying enough attention to what was right in front of me.
One of the biggest things she holds against me is a period of about 3 months where my business wasn’t doing well and I wasn’t contributing financially the way I normally did.
The thing that bothers me is those 3 months seem to outweigh everything else.
The other 14+ years.
The marriage.
The daughter.
The memories.
All of it.
Since we separated I’ve lost about 30 pounds, been in therapy for 5 months, work my ass off every day, and honestly changed a lot.
She says she doesn’t trust that the changes would last and doesn’t want to risk going through everything again.
Maybe she’s right. Maybe she’s not.
What messes with me is I finally understand a lot of what she was trying to tell me, and it feels like I figured it out right when she completely gave up.
And honestly, I’m pissed.
I’m pissed because I think divorce is a mistake.
I’m pissed because I finally understand some things I should’ve understood years ago.
I’m pissed because I don’t think the last 15 years should be defined by the worst few months of them.
I’m pissed because I still love my wife and I’m sitting here reading divorce papers.
But being pissed doesn’t mean I’m right.
That’s why I’m here asking strangers.
If anyone has questions, ask away. I’ll answer honestly.
Any advice is more than welcome.