Divorce is an emotionally charged experience and it can be difficult to know where to start. Preparing yourself and knowing what to expect can have a major impact on how easily you navigate the divorce process. Whether you are filing for divorce or being served with papers, understanding the process will help ensure that things go as smoothly as possible.
The first step in the divorce process is determining if your state has residency requirements for filing. Generally, couples must live in the same state for at least 6 months before filing for divorce in that state. Once you’ve made sure you meet your home state’s requirements, it’s time to file for divorce. Many people use a Decatur divorce lawyer or mediator to help them through the process, but couples can also fill out all of the paperwork themselves.
You should prepare yourself mentally and financially before starting the process of filing documents with your court system. Think about what issues are most important to you and determine whether it is worth fighting over or not. You should also create an inventory of all financial assets such as bank accounts, investments, retirement funds, and real estate properties. This will help make sure that both parties receive their fair share during the property division part of the proceedings.
Once both parties have filed their paperwork and gone through mediation (if applicable), they will attend a hearing before a judge who will grant or deny approval of each party’s petition for divorce or other requests such as alimony payments or child custody arrangements. In many cases courts prefer mediation rather than lengthy court proceedings so couples may want to consider attempting this option first before taking their case to court so they can avoid unnecessary costs associated with legal representation and court fees.
Afterwards there may be additional steps involved depending on what issues are still unresolved between you and your ex-spouse such as modifying existing orders due to changes in circumstances like moving away from one another or children growing up. But now that you know more about what happens during the entire divorce process, you can start preparing yourself for whatever may come down the road!
