Divorce: 4 Tips to Make a Divorce Simple

Contested Divorce

Simply put, where the parties cannot agree to a divorce ground or cannot agree on any of the aforementioned issues, litigation must proceed. The parties can always settle their divorce at any time during litigation. What happens during litigation?
1. The summons for divorce must be personally served on the other spouse.
2. The defendant has 20 days to appear in the action through his attorney or prose (by himself).
3. The plaintiff can request that a matrimonial judge be assigned to the case and that a date is set for the parties and their attorneys to be directed to appear in court for a preliminary conference with the judge or his law secretary.
4. Instead of requesting a preliminary conference, either party may need immediate interim relief from the court and may file a motion(application) for this relief, such as child support, maintenance(alimony), custody. This is temporary relief also known as pendente lite (pending litigation). A judge is assigned.
The parties have to appear before the judge on a date certain and the other party has to respond in writing to the written motion.
5. When the parties appear in court either at a preliminary conference or for a motion, in the event there is no settlement, a discovery schedule will be set up. Both parties will have to provide each other with all financial documents requested. The parties may also be examined under oath, before any trial, on these financial documents and issues only.

Uncontested Divorce

In an uncontested divorce, the parties have agreed on all the terms and issues and thus no court appearance is  necessary. I prepare all the necessary papers to be signed and file all required documents to obtain an uncontested judgment of divorce. There are thus no litigation costs when both parties agree. However, the agreement includes not only the grounds for divorce but all other issues such as child custody, parenting time (visitation), child support, maintenance (alimony) counsel, fees, distribution of assets, and all other issues pertaining to the divorce action. This is not only the most economical option but the fastest one.

4 Tips to Make a Divorce Simple

Divorce is never easy. It is a very emotional and financially draining time, made much more complicated if you have children. But that being said, there are things you can do to make divorce less complex although not necessarily less painful.
Here are some tips:
1. Find a lawyer that will represent your interests
This means what it says – finds a lawyer who does think about your interests and isn’t just interested in just completing another file. Such a lawyer makes take a little search – not too much since you are on my website and this is what I pride myself on – but do not underestimate this. If you are only looking for a lawyer based on low fees only, this may not work out. I suggest you do some looking, both online and by asking the advice of friends and family. Having the right lawyer, like myself, will simplify things for you and prevent poor decisions from entering in.
2. Root out your spouse’s possessions and give them back
A key to making your divorce simpler is not to fight over every little thing. First of all, give back your spouse’s possessions when they move out. Then work out in an as amicable a manner as possible a division of the household goods. You might have to pick your battles – there might be a disagreement about a family valuable but don’t worry about the small stuff. Let it go. You can always get a new bed or LED TV.
3. Get your financial house in order
Disclose all of your financial assets to your lawyer. Give them a complete portfolio of your assets and liabilities, including those that you hold jointly with your soon-to-be ex-spouse. One thing to make sure of is that you are not stuck with debt in your name that should be shared with your former partner. All this will help your lawyer work out the best settlement on your behalf. Then you can start to move on.
4. Be prepared to make concessions, not just on possessions
Lastly, keep an open mind. Again, fighting over each small detail of divorce will only keep the agony going. Look over the financial and personal obligations you might share and make appropriate but fair decisions that wind matters up quickly.
By following these tips, your chances of having a simplified divorce are greatly enhanced along with your future happiness and emotional stability.