What’s the Difference Between a Divorce Trial and a Hearing?

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 stability to each spouse’s living situation. Some of the issues most commonly discussed at a divorce hearing include:

• Temporary child custody and visitation orders
• Temporary child and spousal support arrangements
• Which spouse will pay for insurance coverage and the amount of minimum coverage that must be maintained during the course of the divorce
• Who will be responsible for making mortgage payments and repairs to the family home during a divorce
• Whether one spouse will be responsible for paying the legal fees of the other spouse
• Who will take each vehicle and who will make the payments on those vehicles

In general, all decisions made at divorce hearings are temporary in nature.

Divorce trials

Divorce trials result in permanent decisions for all of the above issues, along with any other issues that come up during the course of the divorce that cannot be settled out of court. Most of the time, spouses and attorneys will try to avoid trial as much as possible, as it is expensive and time-consuming.

If the parties are unable to come to a settlement on all issues before trial, they can at least agree on some beforehand to avoid an overly lengthy process.

For more information and guidance on divorce hearings and trials, contact an experienced Long Island divorce lawyer with Bryan L. Salamone & Associates.