At a divorce deposition, the other party’s attorney will be given the chance to ask you questions on a wide variety of subjects related to your divorce. These topics could include your overall health, your employment history, your fidelity during the marriage, any debts or assets you own and anything else that could factor into the divorce. Your spouse is…
If you’re like most people, you might think that a divorce hearing and a divorce trial are one in the same. In reality, they are similar, but there are a few differences between the two. The following is a quick overview of each: Divorce hearings Divorce hearings are typically used to obtain temporary orders from the court to provide some…
If you receive a formal request for child support (known as a child support petition), you must respond promptly and accurately. Your actions could impact your financial obligations for many years to come. The following items are some key points related to receiving and responding to a child support petition: You must comply with all instructions written on the petition.…
If child custody is a major issue in your divorce case, you may need to undergo a child custody evaluation. During this process, you will meet with a third-party evaluator to determine your fitness as a parent. The following are a few key tips as you prepare for this evaluation: Always be upfront regarding your strengths and weaknesses as a…
As you go through a divorce, there’s a good chance you will come across some legal terminology with which you’re unfamiliar. The following are a few common examples: Alternative dispute resolution (ADR): A settlement process that occurs out of court, whether it’s through negotiations, mediation or arbitration. It is typically used to help divorcing couples avoid a full trial. Annulment:…
One question you might have while you are going through a divorce is what will happen to the money you’ve put away for your children in college savings accounts. You may wonder if those funds could be diverted to other purposes or if your kids will need to split the money with the children of your former partner’s new spouse.…
An uncontested divorce is the simplest, most pain-free divorce process available. Essentially, it means that both parties are able to agree on all the major issues in their divorce, including how they will share parental responsibilities, child support and custody arrangements, alimony payments and the division of shared property and debts. If the parties are able to agree on these…
While the overall U.S. divorce rate appears to be declining, studies show that divorce among older adults is actually on the rise. This means that more people are getting divorced after many years of marriage — a fact that makes the dissolution of marriage more complicated. Divorcing later in life is often a result of what people call “empty nest…
As you are going through a divorce, chances are you will receive a lot of unsolicited advice from family members and friends who may or may not have ever experienced a divorce of their own. Although they almost certainly mean well, it’s important to remember that each divorce is different, and any advice they give might not be appropriate for…
Often in a divorce, the date of separation is a key factor in determining how assets and debts are divided, who retains custody of the children and how much child support and/or alimony is owed. Most of the time, the date of separation is the date on which the two parties officially no longer lived together as a married couple.…