Are you having nightmares about divorce? Many people avoid filing for divorce for years because they believe the process will be time-consuming, expensive, and emotionally taxing. While this can certainly be the case, it does not have to be. No two divorces are the same, and you may be surprised at the number of alternatives that exist to traditional courtroom divorces. You can even get divorced without ever setting foot in a courtroom. In this post, we will provide you with some tips for getting through your divorce as quickly, painlessly, and cost-effectively as possible. The information provided in this post is intended to be general. If you would like feedback based on your unique situation, you are welcome to schedule a one-on-one consultation with one of our attorneys.
File a No-Fault Divorce
When you file for divorce you have to provide grounds for doing so. Grounds for filing for divorce are essentially your reason or justification for doing so. You can file on fault or no-fault grounds. Filing on fault-based grounds means that you are saying one party is at fault for ending the marriage. This may be the case if the marriage ended because one spouse cheated, and you file on the grounds of adultery.
However, it is important to understand that when you file on fault grounds, the first part of the trial will be spent determining whether it was the spouse’s fault. For instance, if you file based on the grounds of adultery, before the judge begins with the divorce proceedings, the court will have to determine whether the alleged adultery occurred. This adds a lot of time and expense to your divorce process and can be incredibly frustrating if you are unable to meet the necessary evidentiary threshold.
A better alternative, even if one spouse was actually at fault, is to file on no-fault grounds. This means both spouses agree that they have irreconcilable differences and that the marriage has been broken for six months.
Try Mediation
Mediation is often the fastest and easiest way to arrive at a divorce agreement. When a divorce agreement is litigated in court it can take close to a year or more due to spread out court dates and the number of issues that have to be argued. This will also result in high legal fees, as lawyers charge the most for litigation services.
Mediation provides an alternative means of arriving at a divorce agreement that allows you to avoid ever stepping foot in a courtroom at all. Parties will meet with a neutral third-party mediation over a handful of sessions, each one lasting a few hours. Within a few weeks, it is often possible for the parties to have arrived at an agreement, which the mediator can then draft and submit to the court. Both parties can change their mind at any time and can have attorneys review the agreement before it is submitted.
Contact Giro Law in Hackensack, New Jersey, to Schedule a Consultation
If you are ready to end your marriage as quickly and easily as possible, the experienced divorce and family law attorneys at Giro Law in Hackensack, New Jersey, are ready to help. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.