The divorce could endanger her rights. Hence, she might take steps to be represented properly before the authorities in order to protect her right to have access to her children and to be sure that her husband was obliged to support the family that he was abandoning. In some places, a woman contesting a divorce can sign legal documents that set out provisions for child custody and financial support, without agreeing to the divorce her husband is seeking. Elsewhere, the wording of the documents indicates that she agrees with the divorce; thus, if her husband was guilty of adultery, the wife’s signing these would mean that she rejects him.

In a case where an immoral husband seeks a divorce, the wife still may be willing to forgive, hoping to have him back. It is up to her to determine, based on her conscience and situation, whether to contest his divorce action. In some places a woman contesting a divorce might be able to sign documents that stipulate custody of the children and financial support without indicating that she agrees with the divorce; her signing such papers would not in itself indicate that she was rejecting him. However, elsewhere a wife contesting a divorce might be asked to sign documents that indicate that she agrees with the divorce; signing such would expressly show that she rejects her guilty husband.

To avoid the possibility of misunderstanding, it would be advisable in this case as well for the wife to give representatives of the congregation a letter outlining what steps are being taken and the attitudes underlying them. She could state that she told her husband that she was willing to forgive him and to be his wife. That would mean that the divorce was being obtained against her wishes; rather than rejecting her husband, she was still ready to forgive. After thus making it clear that she was willing to forgive and remain married, her signing papers that merely indicate how financial and/​or custody matters are to be settled would not indicate that she was rejecting her husband.a