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Guided Self-Help Forms

Welcome to Legal Aid of West Virginia’s FREE Guided Self-Help Forms. The LawHelp system will guide you through the process of creating the court papers you need to file your own divorce or custody case in West Virginia family court.

The system is easy. You will go through a series of screens with questions about you and your case. All you do is answer the questions on the screen, then move to the next screen. When you’re finished, the LawHelp system will insert your information into standard form court documents ready for you to print and use.

Getting Started:

  • When you click on a form listed below, you will be taken to a website called "LawHelp Interactive".
  • Go to the "Get Started" box in yellow and click Proceed.
  • You should then read through the Terms of Use.
  • If you want to agree, click "I agree to LawHelp Interactive’s terms." Then click Continue.
  • You will then see a set of simple instructions on how to use the forms.

At the end:

  • After you have answered the questions, you will get a PDF document of the court form you need.
  • When you print the form you will also get printed instructions about what to do with the papers you've created. Make sure you follow all the steps that are listed in the instructions. If you don’t follow all the instructions the court may not act on your case.
  • You can save your answers in the system, for up to a month. If you don’t finish the whole process in one sitting, you can come back to finish your forms. Also, you can create some other documents later, using the same saved information. To do this, click on the "Save Your Answers" button.

View all guided self-help forms.

Don't know which forms you need to fill out?

Divorce: What forms do I need to complete to file a divorce or answer a divorce?

Here is some basic information about which forms you need to fill out. If you need more information you should read the Divorce Packet Instructions or talk to a lawyer. 

Form: When to fill it out:
Acceptance of Service If the person responding to the divorce (Respondent) voluntarily accepts the divorce papers or picks them up from the Circuit Clerk’s Office
Affidavit of Unknown or Out of State Residency If you do not know the address of the Respondent or the Respondent lives out of state
Affidavit to Withhold Identifying Information> If you believe the safety, liberty or health of you or your children would be at risk if the other side would learn your address and telephone number from the forms
BCSE Application & Income Withholding If children are involved, or either party is asking for spousal support
Certificate of Service If you need to send a copy of forms to the other side.
NOTE: You do not fill this out if you are filing the Divorce Petition (Petitioner). You should fill it out for all other paperwork after the Petition is filed.
Civil Case Information Sheet In all divorces
Divorce Petition and Answer (Instructions) In all divorces
Financial Statement- Guided Form is not available but this links to the WV Supreme Court Form.  In all divorces
Motion to Adopt Individual Proposed Parenting Plan If children are involved
Notice of Hearing If you have a hearing date and the Family Court asks you to send "Notice of Hearing" to the other side. 
Order of Publication If you cannot serve the Respondent in person
Parenting Plan (Instructions) If children are involved
Vital Statistics In all divorces
Waiver for Military Servicemembers This form should be reviewed by military servicemembers in active service
Worksheet for Individual Proposed Parenting Plan If children are involved
 

Modifying or Changing Custody: What forms do I need to complete to file a custody modification case?

Here is some basic information about which forms you need to fill out. If you need more information you should read the Custody Modification Packet Instructions or talk to a lawyer. 

Form: When to fill out:
Acceptance of Service If the person responding to the custody case (Respondent) voluntarily accepts the papers or picks them up from the Circuit Clerk’s Office
Affidavit of Unknown or Out of State Residency If you do not know the address of the Respondent or the Respondent lives out of state
Affidavit to Withhold Identifying Information If you believe the safety, liberty or health of you or your children would be at risk if the other side would learn your address and telephone number from the forms
BCSE Application & Income Withholding If children are involved
Certificate of Service If you need to send a copy of forms to the other side.
NOTE: You do not fill this out if you are filing the Custody Modification Petition (Petitioner). You should fill it out for all other paperwork after you file the Petition. 
Civil Case Information Sheet If you are the person filing the Custody Modification case.
Financial Statement- Guided Form is not available but this links to the WV Supreme Court Form. In all custody cases
Motion to Adopt Individual Proposed Parenting Plan In all custody cases
Petition for Modification In all custody modification cases 
Notice of Hearing If you have a hearing date and the Family Court asks you to send "Notice of Hearing" to the other side.
Order of Publication If you cannot serve the Respondent in person
Parenting Plan (Instructions) In all custody cases
Waiver for Military Servicemembers This form should be reviewed by military servicemembers in active service
Worksheet for Individual Proposed Parenting Plan In all custody cases