One of the secrets that your divorce lawyer might not want you to know is that divorce proceedings are not used punitively. Sometimes, parties want to stick it to their soon to be ex-spouse as recompense for something they did.
If your divorce is contested then there's really no way to expect a good outcome without hiring an attorney. If, however, your divorce is uncontested, then you may be able to perform several parts of it on your own (or pro se which is a Latin term that means "for yourself").
This divorce rate means that there's a lot of money to made in from working for clients who want to the best possible outcome from a parting of ways—and, consequently, there are a lot of attorneys who want to get at it.
Divorce law firms are no different, prompting many people to seek a solo practitioner who is more invested in the outcome of your case. Paradoxically, however, if the solo practitioner does not have adequate support staff in his or her office, your case may end up not getting the attention and care you were promised.
When you and your spouse agree on the divorce and can come to an agreement quickly on the various issues, such as the division of property, spousal...
You have the right to file for divorce in a court that has jurisdiction over your marriage, serve your spouse with the divorce papers, and seek a d...
Every state has an option for a no-fault divorce. It may go by different names in different states, but you are not forced to prove fault to obtain...
There are situations in which you may choose to file for divorce based on fault in hopes of obtaining some benefit. For instance, in certain circum...
If your spouse has already stated they will not sign divorce papers, and you have not yet filed, speak with a divorce attorney about the pros and c...
In Pennsylvania, you still have the option to file for a no-fault divorce based on the marriage being irretrievably broken. An irretrievable breakd...
If your spouse was properly served the divorce papers, filed an uncontested response in court, then refused to sign the final divorce papers, talk...
In some jurisdictions, if the spouse did not contest the divorce or any particular issue in their response, the judge may allow you to proceed with...
If your spouse does not attend the court date or attends and continues to not contest the divorce, the judge may enter a divorce order based on the...
Contested divorces can take weeks or months because the matter may require multiple hearings to argue the numerous issues involved.
5 Actions to Take if Your Spouse Refuses to Sign Divorce Papers. 1. You Do Not Need Your Spouse’s Consent to Obtain a Divorce. Long gone are the days when one spouse might need the other’s consent to obtain a divorce. Now, consensual, or uncontested, divorces may be easier, but they are not required. You have the right to file for divorce in ...
You may have to move forward with a contested divorce, though. A court hearing will be set, and your spouse will be served with the court date .
Contested divorces can take weeks or months because the matter may require multiple hearings to argue the numerous issues involved. If you know your spouse is ready to fight you during the divorce, contact a Pittsburgh contested divorce attorney as soon as possible. 4.
A contentious divorce can take months or years to finalize. However, if your spouse chooses to not participate, then this could lead to a speedier resolution.
If they do not show up to court that day, the judge can enter a divorce order based on the facts in your original divorce complaint, so long as you have met all the statutory requirements for a divorce. 5. Do Not Put Your Divorce on Hold.
If you expect a contested divorce , or for your spouse to ignore the proceedings, it is best to speak with a skilled divorce attorney regarding how to obtain a divorce without your spouse’s cooperation.
You may have had trouble with your spouse right from the start. Despite properly filing for divorce and serving them with the divorce papers, your spouse may have not responded in time. That is, they failed to file a written response with the court. In this situation, your attorney may file a motion for default judgment.
That you'll save money and heartache by being organized. Divorce lawyers often charge by the hour. If you take responsibility for being as organized as possible, not only are you likely to walk away from your marriage with a more acceptable outcome, you'll probably save some money too.
Mediation is a process whereby you and your spouse sit down with a neutral third party to negotiate several important areas of divorce. It's a low-cost way to address practically any other disagreement you and your spouse may have. While the mediator's decision is not binding, it allows a neutral party to provide their perspective on how divorce related issues should be addressed. However, mediation can only be a useful tool if you and your spouse can come to an broad agreement.
An uncontested divorce means that you and your spouse agree child custody, spousal support, child support, visitation, and division of property. If you find that there is no need to fight over these things, you've already saved yourself thousands of dollars.
Fault-based divorce is when one spouse committed an act that gives legal justification to the ending of the marriage. These acts include adultery, a felony conviction, cruelty, or desertion.
There are several things to look for when choosing a divorce attorney. You want to choose someone who is experienced, respected, competent, and affordable. If they are proving to not be a good fit though, change them. Because you can, even if the reason is that you don't get on with him or her. Bear in mind however that if an attorney has worked on your case, you'll have to pay her/him for their time. Also, it might damage your case to change attorney's when you are close to a court ordered deadline, so only do it after careful consideration.
One of the best and simplest ways to do that is to start a divorce file. In this file, keep every bit of paper that could have an effect on how your divorce proceedings. Gather copies of all important financial documents and access to all account information. Keep it organized and easy to navigate.
Below are twenty secrets that a divorce lawyer may not want to share with you. 1. It's going to cost more than you bargained for. It's not always the case—but more often than not, the costs associated with your divorce will often be higher than your lawyer's original estimate.