Divorce

If your spouse doesn’t immediately consent to the divorce, both sides will share information (“discovery”) and usually try to reach a settlement to avoid a trial. If you and your spouse reach an agreement here, you can submit that agreement to the judge. The judge may call an informal hearing to make sure both of you understand the agreement. If the judge approves of the agreement, s/he can issue a divorce decree. If you settle with your spouse here, then you can skip to Step 6. If you don’t settle here, read Step 5. You can find more information on discovery in our Preparing for Court - By Yourself section.