What Happens if Your Spouse Doesn’t Show Up for Your Divorce?

While you cannot force your spouse to show up for meetings pertaining to your divorce, you can use some legal strategies to strongly encourage the person’s attendance.

In a typical divorce, there will be plenty of paperwork, meetings and court appearances to work through. These meetings regularly occur until the divorce has concluded. For example, both spouses must attend depositions, mediation, temporary custody hearings, temporary support hearings, settlement conferences and, in some cases, a trial.

Moving ahead without your spouse’s presence

It can be incredibly frustrating to have your case delayed simply because your spouse refuses to participate. However, there are some divorce matters that simply cannot wait for a spouse to decide to show up. Custody and support hearings, for example, will not be canceled — even if one individual is not there. The only time these hearings might be rescheduled would be due to accidents or significant illnesses.

If there are routine problems with your spouse failing to show up to your meetings, it’s possible you will get a favorable result right away at your custody hearing.

While you are under no obligation to remind your spouse of your divorce meetings, the courts will look on you favorably if you do so, at it shows you went the extra mile to ensure the process went as smoothly as possible. It also then reflects more poorly on your spouse, to miss the meetings even after getting reminders.

For more information and guidance on how to proceed with a divorce, work with a skilled family law attorney at Bryan L. Salamone & Associates.