Divorce

The process of dissolution can be arduous. Our team will educate you on the various stages of divorce and assist you with the filing and service of the appropriate forms needed for your situation. Some couples might qualify for a Summary Dissolution, a quicker and easier process for couples married 5 years or less. Other divorce options include Mediation, Flat Fee Divorce or Unbundled Legal Services for the true do-it yourself person or less amicable situations.

A divorce is initiated when one spouse files a Petition for Dissolution and associated paperwork with the court. These documents will need to be served on the other spouse, who will then have 30 days to file response paperwork. At Green Giraffe, our team refers to this as phase 1.

The next step, or phase 2 of your divorce is the exchange of Preliminary Declarations of Disclosure (PDD’s) where both spouses are required to fill out multiple financial disclosure forms providing a full accounting of both individual and marital assets, income and debts. Current bank statements, tax returns, pay stubs and other supporting documentation are often required. The purpose of PDD’s is to give the party’s a starting place for negotiations. Various forms are required to be filed with the court and each party must serve the other with their completed PDD packet.

The final and often most complex part of a divorce is reaching a settlement with your spouse on the various issues specific to your situation. A couple must determines the division of assets and debts, child custody/visitation and support among other issues. All that is agreed to is written up in a Marital Settlement Agreement or Judgment to be filed with the courts along with various accompanying forms. For those couples that cannot reach an agreement on a particular issue or several issues the court provides remedies for a Judge to determine at a hearing or sometimes attorney involvement can bring about resolution outside the courtroom.