5 Tips for Easily Navigating a Divorce

Divorce is difficult to navigate if you don’t know where to start. In this challenging time of your life, when you are psychologically, emotionally, and mentally coping, you should surround yourself with a support group — friends and family.

Consulting a divorce attorney is the first step if you have decided to part ways with your spouse. At divorce lawyers Summerlin, we ensure you receive the best legal help that can help you navigate this troubled period of your life. 

In this article, we will help you understand how much divorce costs, how long divorce process takes, and how much a divorce lawyer cost. Most family law lawyers specialize in various types of divorces – contested or uncontested. Consulting your family lawyer will give you a perspective on which type of divorce suits you the best. 

The Divorce Process 

The divorce process is different for both contested and uncontested divorce. Usually, a contested divorce takes longer than an uncontested divorce. 

Process of obtaining an uncontested divorce

The most crucial step in an uncontested divorce is the mutual agreement between the spouses on all divorce-related matters — financial aspects, child custody, child support, alimony support, asset division, etc. After the parties have agreed on all divorce-related issues, a divorce petition is prepared, which is signed and filed in the family court with a court fee. If you can’t afford a court fee, you can ask the court for a fee waiver. I

f the divorce petition is submitted mutually to the court — signatures of both parties are present, the judge will analyze the divorce petition. The court also observes whether the settlement is fair and equitable and whether all legal requirements are satisfied. If the court is persuaded all prerequisites are adequately met, it gives the order of summary dissolution of the marriage.

However, if the other spouse is not present, you have to serve the divorce papers to them. Lack of response to the divorce papers would be an agreement of the other spouse to settlement terms, and the court would finalize the divorce. An uncontested divorce costs between $3,500 to $6,000. 

Process of obtaining a contested divorce

A contested divorce process begins with filing relevant paperwork with the divorce petition. The other party has 20 days to submit a response to the divorce petition, mentioning their stance on divorce-related issues. After the submission of a response by the opposite party, a date is set by the court for Case Management Conference(CMC). Case Management Conference is the initial hearing of the case to determine the issues of the divorce case.

A list of issues is drafted, and the case proceeds to the discovery step at which all the crucial evidence and essential documents are gathered and submitted. At this point, if a successful settlement is negotiated between the parties, the divorce doesn’t go to trial. However, if negotiations fail, the contested divorce goes to a trial.

The court makes a divorce decree after observing the evidence, cross-examinations of witnesses, and hearing the statement of the parties. A contested divorce costs between $8,000 to $20,000, depending on the complexity level of the case. 

Five helpful Tips and How a Divorce Lawyer Can Help You With it

These are a few helpful tips you can follow before filing for a divorce and how a divorce attorney can help you with them. 

Come to the court prepared

Most divorce lawyers remark they have faced complications because their client has announced divorce without pre-preparation. Do not announce divorce until you have made essential preparations — documents gathering, bank accounts details, real estate papers, documentary evidence in the form of images and videos, detail about any matrimonial assets, prenuptial agreement, and any other document that is helpful to establish your divorce case. These documents are crucial to your family attorney if you have a contested divorce. 

Keep communication open with your children

Perhaps the biggest mistake divorcing couples make is they avoid open communication with their children. It is detrimental to their case and results in ugly custody battles. Try not to drag your children into a dispute that you have with your spouse. Maintaining a healthy, happy, and communicative relationship with your children will go a long way in your custody case. 

Be financially sufficient

The legal costs of a divorce and attorney fees are usually quite expensive, so you should be prepared to have enough financial stability before you announce a divorce. If you are a financially dependent spouse, you can also apply for financial aid from the court, but it usually takes some time to process. It is recommended to talk to your divorce attorney about how you can get financial support from governmental institutions if you can’t pay the legal expenses of the divorce. However, be prepared to have at least two months’ worth of expenditure to sustain the legal process because you would initially have to pay the attorney fees.

Hire a specialist divorce attorney

Whether it is a contested or uncontested divorce, you will require the expertise of an experienced divorce lawyer because divorce takes a long time to process. How long divorce takes to decide will depend on the type of divorce you are getting. A contested divorce can take up to 6 months to 2 years, whereas an uncontested divorce is a summary divorce. It means an uncontested divorce takes less time compared to a contested divorce. An uncontested divorce can take 1 to 6 months to be finalized. 

Visit a mental health counselor

Taking care of your mental health is vital during this troubling time. Try to visit the divorce counselor regularly to cope with the psychological toll divorce can take on you. Don’t hesitate to discuss your mental health with your therapist or any psychological health practitioner you are visiting.

Bottom Line

Although divorces are expensive, hiring a specialist divorce attorney will help you avoid legal mishaps during your divorce and save you from potentially worse consequences.

Therefore, the benefits of hiring a divorce lawyer surpass its costs. Consult our divorce lawyers Summerlin now!

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