The divorce process can be a complicated and stressful experience. You have many questions to consider, such as:
● How will the divorce impact you?
● What happens to your children?
● How will you pay the bills?
● How will you manage your money?
● What are your options?
● How do you plan to handle your anger?
● What will you do with your property?
● How will you manage your finances?
● What will you do if your spouse doesn’t cooperate?
Your divorce process will be one of the most stressful and time consuming experiences of your life. You will be dealing with the loss of a life partner, your family’s future, the financial repercussions of your marriage and children’s custody. However, it is important to remember that the divorce process is not a one-time event, but rather an ongoing process.
Below, we’ll cover some of the key points that you should be aware of as you go through the divorce process. Having a trusted divorce attorney on your side can make some of these things much easier.
Besides providing you with some useful information, this page will also give you some tools to help you get through the process.
The divorce process can be divided into four stages:
1. The Filing of the Petition
2. The Service of the Petition
3. The Hearing
4. The Decree of Divorce
Filing of the Petition
If you and your spouse have been separated for more than six months, you can file for divorce. This means that the divorce is filed in the Superior Court.
Conversely, if you and your spouse have been separated for less than six months, you can file for divorce in Family Court.
Service of the Petition
If you and your spouse have been separated for more than six months, the other party must be served with the Petition. This means that a copy of the Petition must be mailed to the other party. If you and your spouse have been separated for less than six months, the Petition is served upon the spouse by the court.
Hearing
After the Petition is served, the court will schedule a hearing to determine the divorce. If you and your spouse have been separated for more than six months, the hearing will be held in Superior Court. If you and your spouse have been separated for less than six months, the hearing will be held in Family Court.
Decree of Divorce
After the hearing, the court will make a decision regarding the divorce.
What happens to your property?
The divorce process will result in the division of your property. This means that your property will be divided between you and your spouse.
You will need to provide the court with a list of your property. This includes:
All of your property, including real estate, bank accounts, investments, stocks, bonds, life insurance policies, retirement accounts, automobiles, boats, and all other assets
Any debts that you and your spouse have
Any property that your spouse has already claimed as his or her own
What happens to your children?
Your children will be the focus of the divorce process. As a result, you and your spouse will need to come to an agreement on how to care for your children.
If you and your spouse are not able to come to an agreement, the court will make a decision on custody and visitation.