One of the hardest decisions a couple can make in life is divorce. This is because the divorce process does don’t happen overnight; it time-consuming. For this reason, both parties should know what to expect, as this can make the process easier to navigate. While each divorce case is unique, hiring a family attorney can give you peace of mind and ensure you make the right decisions for yourself and your children.
Basic Steps For A Divorce Process
If you want to file for divorce in San Diego, there are necessary steps you need to know, they include:
- Preparation and filing for divorce: Divorce is something that should be given serious thoughts and considerations. You should ask yourself whether divorce is the right step to take. Once decided, you can file the divorce petition.
- Serving the temporary orders: Sometimes, it becomes hard to wait for the judge to finalize the divorce. One of the parties may become desperate because there are bills to be paid, kids who need to feed and go to school. After filing for divorce, you may be allowed to ask for temporary court orders such as stopping your spouse from selling valuable assets, child support, child custody, and visitation, or even spousal support.
- Discussing a settlement: Settlement is a two -way street. It would be best if you came to an agreement on matters related to child support or how your property will be divided. This can be easier when you have an attorney to help you make the right decisions. Negotiations allow both parties to have control of their divorce and have probable results.
- Trial: If you fail to agree through settlement, this will automatically lead you to court for a trial. Remember that a court trial is time-consuming, and no party will have powers since they solely rest on the judge. During the trial, the judge always asks for the estimated trial time. It will help if you don’t underestimate the time taken for trial. If this happens, the judge can declare a mistrial.
- Finalizing judgment: The judge has to sign your divorce; finally, it doesn’t matter whether you went to court for trial or you negotiated your divorce process. The judge issues the final order, which dictates who will have the custodial responsibility and how the liabilities and assets will be divided.
Should I Meet With A Divorce attorney?
A divorce lawyer Chula Vista can help you determine the grounds necessary for filing a divorce case. He/she can tell whether or not you qualify for summary dissolution. In California, divorce is mostly termed as the dissolution of marriage. The latter helps to make work easier. With the help of an attorney, you may not appear in court because you have come into agreement on how the divorce process will be conducted. But, there are many options in how your divorce may be handled. You can decide to have full or limited attorney representation. Though sometimes it’s unnecessary to get a lawyer, it’s always in your best interest to have one by your side.