You cannot personally give the court documents to your spouse. After you have a stamped copy of your documents from the court, you must arrange for someone – preferably a professional process server or bailiff – to hand deliver the documents, including the Petition for Divorce, to your spouse (the Respondent). This is so that your spouse knows you’ve started the divorce process and that they have a right to respond to it. This process is called ‘personal service.’ You will have 6 months to arrange for personal service of your court documents. Petitions for Divorce must be served in all cases.
You can find more information about personal service later in this Guide.