Re: Getting divorced after being separated for years
If your soon-to-be ex can be amicable, you can pretty much divorce outside of court and even without lawyers. You can either go through the process yourself or through a mediator.
Things you have to consider are your marital assets (including retirement plans and if anybody earned a degree during the time you were married and the money to pay for it came out of your joint banking account) and how to split everything. If you have children, you both can figure out what's in their best interest and how they will be splitting their time between you. If you cannot agree on anything, then get a lawyer and take it from there. A lawyer doesn't mean you have to go through court, but again if you both can't come to any compromises even with the works of lawyers then a judge has to get involved more than just signing your decree that the marriage is dissolved.