Marriage is a common expression of love and devotion. Unfortunately, however, divorce is just as common. In fact, according to Forbes, there were 689,308 of them across the 45 states that documented it in 2021. People get divorced for various reasons including, but not limited to, falling out of love, infidelity, being stuck with each other for months during a pandemic quarantine, and financial issues. Have you found yourself on this side of family law? Here are several things to expect with a divorce.

Separation

Most of the time, states require that couples live apart for a period of time before they can formally start the divorce proceedings. This isn’t the case in every state, though, so it’s best to find that out first. You could wait for a few weeks or it could even be as long as a year before being a lot to file.

Petition

In most states, the person who wants to get a divorce can file a petition. They can file for a no-fault divorce or they can assign blame and ask that the marriage be nullified. Some states don’t allow for no-fault divorces, though. You need to find out which ones do that before trying to go ahead with this route.

Negotiation

After bringing in a lawyer, you can see if you can negotiate a settlement before going to a courtroom. You can decide who gets what. If it goes to the courts, though, the judge can determine the order of possessions. Ask yourself if that’s the risk you want to take.

This is a very short summation of what the divorce process is like. It’s best to talk with people who have studied the law and handled claims. They can be the best ones to guide you through everything pertaining to the laws in your specific state. Simply put, you need to be prepared. Family law can be tricky, so you should get someone who is knowledgeable about it. An expert that can help give you the best chance of getting the best ruling.

Whether you’ve known that your marriage was destined to end or if you were caught by surprise, you want someone who is well-versed in family law by your side. Contact us today to come in for a consultation.