Divorce

Generally, there are several steps to a divorce. First, usually, one of the parties files a petition or complaint for divorce. The other party has a chance to respond with an “answer”. Then, if the parties are in agreement on all of the issues related to ending the marriage (custody, division of property, support, etc.) then they may be able to submit a marital settlement agreement and the judge can issue a divorce incorporating those terms. If the parties do not agree, then there may be discovery, conferences, and court appearances before a trial where a judge can make decisions on the issues related to divorce. At each stage of the process, usually one of the parties would have to submit paperwork to move the case to the next stage. The other party might be able to ask for an adjournment to appearances for a variety of reasons. We have some basic information about divorce HYPERLINK on our website, and information about Preparing for Court for self represented litigants, in case that might be helpful. However, hopefully you can get a lawyer to represent you if you decide to file for divorce. We link to free legal services on our Finding a Lawyer HYPERLINK page.