Divorce Law

Going through a divorce can be a stressful time--all the more so when cost is taken into consideration. The average cost of a divorce in a major city can be as much as $18,000. But you can...

A common misconception of divorced women is that creditors will abide by a court decree that requires an ex-husband to pay certain debts that were acquired jointly. However, this isn't true, warns...

In an uncontested divorce, the separating spouses reach agreements outside of court with regard to child custody and visitation, property division and joint debts. If you and your spouse have...

Each U.S. state establishes its own rules, procedures and requirements for divorce. Nonetheless, the general divorce process is the same for most jurisdictions. Typically, the divorce case...

Divorce cases are legally complex and personally challenging. In most cases parties involved in a divorce are best served attempting to reach a settlement, according to Emily Doskow, writing in...

An issue that commonly is addressed in divorce cases is insurance coverage. There are occasions in which certain types of insurance coverage appropriately are part of divorce settlement...

If you and your spouse are considering a divorce, do not assume you should proceed without legal assistance. Although you are able to communicate with your spouse in a civil fashion--which is...

Before seeking a divorce certificate, you should understand two different types of divorce records. One of the documents is called a divorce decree and is prepared by the court setting forth the...

Many complicated issues are dealt with in a divorce case. High on the list of the more important and oftentimes complex matters in divorce proceedings is protecting the retirement rights of the...

Divorce papers are documents you need to maintain. Unlike other paperwork you encounter throughout your life, that related to the termination of your marriage (and related matters) contains...

There are few other legal proceedings that dredge up more emotions than divorce cases. If you are in the midst of a divorce case, you need to keep in mind that you are not obliged to reach a...

The matrimonial home is the house where you and your spouse resided. After filing for divorce, one of the many issues that will be discussed is who will take exclusive possession of the home while...

Retirement plans, including a 401k, are considered marital property even if only one spouse technically contributed to the plan during the course of the marriage. As marital property, it is...

Spousal maintenance (formerly known as alimony) is a payment made to assist a person in a divorce case in maintaining her standard of living for a fixed period of time following the termination of...

Parents in a divorce maintain important rights to any child born as a result of the relationship. The law is designed to protect and enhance the ability of both parents to play meaningful roles in...

Divorce cases bring the potential of impairing the relationship children maintain with their grandparents. Across the country, different states enacted laws designed to provide grandparents with...

As you plot your settlement positions in your divorce case, you may wonder whether you can get insurance coverage in a divorce settlement. There are a number of factors and applicable laws that...

The financial stress of a divorce action itself is significant in many cases. As you and your spouse prepare to pursue a divorce, you need to make sure that you are proactive in regard to managing...

If you intend to file for divorce, to become a petitioner in the divorce case, you must have a general understanding of your rights. Although both parties have explicit rights in a marriage...

When a person is incarcerated, he does not lose all rights. For example, there are specific rights of inmates in a divorce case that must be protected. There are certain family law procedures...

Through the course of a typical contested divorce a number of contentious issues typically resolve at a hearing before the judge. By definition, a contested divorce is one in which the parties...

One of the first steps in obtaining a divorce is serving the respondent with a bill of complaint, notifying them of the pending divorce proceedings. Serving the respondent can be difficult if they...

Divorcing is stressful enough without having to worry about taxes too. However, if you're divorcing towards the end of the tax year, filing status rules are a concern you can't afford to ignore....

Divorce is a difficult and painful experience that can be filled with hurt feelings, anger, and despair. If you are short on cash, the last thing you want to be concerned about during divorce is...

To divorce your spouse, you will need to "serve" a copy of the divorce petition on her. Service requires that she accept the document and sign a paper saying she received it; each state has...

Applying for both Social Security benefits and divorce at the same time can be hectic. If you have worked and contributed to Social Security, you may eligible for Social Security retirement...

Depending on the divorce laws of your state, in a divorce all marital assets will be divided either as community property (equally divided between parties) or equitably (property is divided...

Divorce records are public records that are open to be viewed by the public, unless they have been "sealed" for some reason (lots of movie stars do this). You can search for divorce records from...

Retirement settlement for former military spouses is covered under the Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act (USFSPA). State courts have jurisdiction over the parties going through...

Getting divorced changes the financial circumstances of each party involved, especially if there are children of the marriage. If your ex-spouse will be required to pay child support or alimony...

Getting divorced can change the financial and insurance needs of a family. Insurance coverage for family members could change quickly and it's important to always have health insurance coverage....

When a marriage breaks down to the point of dissolution, both parties will often consent to the divorce, even if it is not necessarily amicable. However, some spouses are just not willing to let...

In most cases, a 401(k) is divided during a divorce, and the terms of the division of the 401(k) are outlined in the Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage. Often, a Qualified Domestic...

There may be nothing quite as awkward as signing an antenuptial agreement--better known as a prenuptial agreement, or prenup--before tying the knot. However, these agreements can save a lot of...

learn what you need to do to have one assigned to your case

keep your income

For a private investigator to be able to catch a wife that is cheating on her spouse, he/she would have to be very smart about it. The reason for this is that women are not sneaking around just...

First, there is no excuse for anyone to cheat on their spouse. The reasons for people doing so vary. For men, there seem to be more reasons than women. Much like the old saying that women have sex...

Divorce is difficult all around, on everyone. But one of the most especially difficult days is the days you spend in court, negotiating and waiting around. While it is difficult to anticipate any...

A primary consideration and objective during a divorce case is to protect assets and income. You need to take a proactive stance to avoid money loss in a divorce. Hopefully your spouse will join...

Divorce laws vary by state. Community property states operate under the assumption that all marital assets are marital property and thus equally distributed. Equitable distribution states...

Before filing for divorce, you must determine what state has jurisdiction over your case. You will only be able to file for divorce in a state where you or your spouse are a legal resident. If you...

Getting a divorce means dividing up not only assets of the marriage, but also the debt of the marriage. This can include anything from car payments, mortgages or credit card debt. Some states...

Nowadays, women are not awarded custody of children by default. Courts today usually apply the "best interest" standard, considering a list of factors to determine which custodial situation is...

Some divorce cases can be settled with a written agreement or uncontested decree signed by both spouses and approved by a judge. However, if you and your spouse disagree about issues such as...

The best way to deal with a cheater in a divorce depends on the laws in your state. Some states are no-fault, and infidelity is not a factor when determining alimony or the division of assets....

When you file for divorce, the process requires you to serve your former spouse with a copy of the papers. This is so your spouse is aware you have filed for divorce, and affords him an...

The complaint is the first document filed to initiate a divorce matter, and you receive notice of the filing by way of a summons. Once you receive this, you must file an answer to the divorce...