What is a divorce?
A divorce is a legal proceeding in which a marriage is terminated by a court of law. There are alternatives to divorce, such as annulment or legal separation that may apply to your situation. An annulment occurs when a court declares that a marriage invalid because the marriage wasn’t legal from the start. Legal separation occurs when a husband and wife live separately but remain legally married to each other. Divorce mediation and arbitration allow couples negotiate a divorce settlement without going to court.
Types of divorce
The time required to obtain a divorce, waiting periods between filing an initial petition and receiving a final divorce decree, separation prerequisites, residency requirements, legal costs, and court costs may vary by jurisdiction and which type of divorce is filed. As such, separating couples approaching a divorce should educate themselves on the differences between the two divorce types. The contested divorce is the type in which the spouses cannot arrive at an agreement on one or more key issues in order to conclusively terminate their marriage. Uncontested divorces are often referred to as simple divorces. An uncontested divorce occurs when the couple agrees on all issues required to conclusively and effectively terminate their marriage, leaving nothing of consequence that is disputed or unresolved.