jquery validation onSubmit ajax post JSON response - json

Question

I have a very complicated post using jquery validation and an AJAX post that gets a JSON response back from the server and puts it in a jqGrid... But it seems as though my onsuccess is never being called at any point...
$(document).ready(function () {
$("#formSearchByMRN").validate({
rules: {
MRN: { required: true, minLength: 6 }
},
messages: {
MRN: 'Please Enter a Valid MRN'
},
submmitHandler: function (form) {
e.preventDefault();
animateLoad();
debugger;
var theURL = form.action;
var type = form.methd;
var data = $(this).serialize();
$.ajax({
url: theURL,
type: type,
data: data,
dataType: "json",
success: function (result) {
debugger;
var data = result;
if (data.split(':')[0] == "Empty record") {
$("#list").unblock();
$('#resultDiv').html('<b><p style="color: #ff00ff">' + data + '</p></b>');
setTimeout(function () {
$('#resultDiv').html("");
}, 10000);
}
else {
binddata(data);
}
}
});
return false;
}
});
});
It would seem I never get into the submmitHandler. Event though I manage to get to my server side function and it does return, it prompts my UI to save a file which contains the JSON results...
No good.
Am I going about validating my form before my AJAX post the wrong way? Does anybody have any advice about best practices in validating AJAX posts?
UPDATE... MARK R. This is what I attempted. It seems as though I never get in to the success function... My suspicion is that I am not really posting via ajax, but instead doing a full post. I don't understand why.
$('#submitMRN').click(function () {
$("#formSearchByMRN").validate({
rules: {
MRN: { required: true, minLength: 6 }
},
messages: {
MRN: 'Please Enter a Valid MRN'
}
});
if ($('#submitMRN').valid()) {
$("#list").block({ message: '<img src="../../Images/ajax-loader.gif" />' });
$.ajax({
url: $('#submitMRN').action,
type: $('#submitMRN').method,
data: $('#submitMRN').serialize(),
dataType: "json",
success: function (result) {
debugger;
var data = result;
if (data.split(':')[0] == "Empty record") {
$("#list").unblock();
$('#resultDiv').html('<b><p style="color: #ff00ff">' + data + '</p></b>');
setTimeout(function () {
$('#resultDiv').html("");
}, 10000);
}
else {
binddata(data);
}
}
});
}
});

Answer 1

$('#SubmitButton').click(function (){
//Check that the form is valid
$('#FormName').validate();
//If the Form is valid
if ($('#FormName').valid()) {
$.post(...........
}
else {
//let the user fix their probems
return false;
}
});//$('#SubmitButton').click(function (){