Marriages can be performed in minutes. But when it comes to terminating one, the process is more troublesome and a lot lengthier. The reason for this inconvenience is part practicalities and part policy. The law usually promotes marriage – from tax codes to how hospitals deal with their patients and how schools deal with students and parents.
If you look at it from a practical point of view, terminating a marriage involves a lot of work, money, and time. Living arrangements need to be determined, real estate and other properties need to be divided, and decisions when it comes to child custody need to be reached.
These proceedings should accomplish the things mentioned above while leaving both parties involved in a fair state for the future. Getting organized is a huge part of the dissolution of marriage proceedings. The various checklists, worksheets, questionnaires, and most importantly, the documents and forms can help people prepare.
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Divorce courts make fair decisions based on the evidence presented
A lot of states provide courts aw wide discretion in this kind of proceedings. How assets and properties are divided, which party receives child and spousal support, and how much and what is in the kids’ best interests are all important questions judges may decide. Even cordial separation requires tons of work.
Accounting for all assets and properties, arriving at parenting plans, and finding out settlements that work for both sides need honest evaluation and full disclosure. The judiciary cares a lot about evidence, and cruising through the couple’s tax returns, property records, financial records, and other information is just part of a long process.
Divorce lawyers will and can perform all the steps mentioned above. But getting organized can help these professionals come to grips with the case a lot faster. It will also help with the opposing legal counsel and the court. When people consider how much divorce lawyers can cost, it means real savings in the long run.
Worksheets, checklists, and forms can help people involved get organized
Questionnaires and checklists are excellent ways to organize and gather information. Legal counsels usually rely on these things to know and understand their client’s personal history and financial position. Chasing down investments, bank accounts, loan information, mortgages, tax returns, expenses, work history, and education is part of what these lawyers routinely do. Having these things ready for the lawyers will speed up the filing process.
Organizing the details or information can also help individuals get a good look at what to expect from these types of proceedings. Family courts try to reach a fair result for everyone involved. Knowing the real state of marital properties can go a long way.
Spousal and alimony support
A lot of decisions made during marriages can have consequences when partners decide to terminate them. There are common issues that arise in the dissolution of marriage law. When one side earns most of their income, and another performs the majority of the caregiving tasks, should the balance of financial power be shown in the divorce process?
If one party worked while their partner goes to school to get high-paying jobs, should the working party receive some compensation when the dissolution of marriage happens? What if one party has strong employment prospects and careers while the other side took time off to raise their family?
Should spousal support or alimony be adjusted? There are common questions when it comes to divorce law. The different forms, checklists, and worksheets can take individuals through some of the important stuff the legal counsel and the court will be curious to learn about.
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Dividing marital assets and properties
People will also find questionnaires and forms available on the Internet when dealing with the allocation of marital assets and properties. Courts constantly review the joint assets of the parties involved along with their separate assets. It is then used to resolve a fair distribution for the parties involved.
Details on the house, investments, securities, savings, retirement plans, benefits, insurance policies, and other properties and assets will factor in here. Using forms found on the Internet can help people put together this kind of information.
Getting help from a legal counsel
Termination of marriage is a time-consuming and complicated process. Using a reputable, experienced, and registered divorce lawyer can save people a lot of time, money, energy, and hassle. It can also help make sure that a knowledgeable professional is always watching out for the interest of the people involved.
Procedure for filing divorce papers
People need to know which courthouse to file in. They can ask clerks in the county if they are not sure.
Check the county’s clerk or their legal counsel to see if they meet their area’s residency requirements. A lot of states have a six-month residency requirement, but there are states where they require one or more years as residency requirements.
Find cheap Oklahoma divorce forms on the Internet and fill them out. These documents usually include a petition, complaint, or summons. List down the grounds for dissolution of marriage according to the state’s laws. All states have no-fault divorce, but every state’s no-fault laws differ from each other.
While there are states where they allow divorce if the marriage is irreconcilable for at least six months, there are also states that require both parties to live apart from each other for one year with separation agreements in place.
Some states allow people to fill out documents on the computer and submit these on the court’s website. People need to check with the county clerk in their area or their legal counsel to see if they can file their forms electronically in their state.
Sign the complaint or petition in the presence of a registered notary public.
Make copies of the forms and documents. People need to make copies for themselves, one for their partner, and use the original copy for the courthouse.
Bring the forms to the courthouse clerk and pay the filing charges. The clerk will stamp both the original and the copies and will keep the original. People need to take one of the stamped copies and arrange for a service to deliver it to their spouse. However, they cannot personally serve the forms to their spouse. They need to use a reputable and licensed process server, a constable, or a sheriff.