When someone decides to file for divorce, this decision doesn’t mean a person automatically downloads an understanding of all things divorce-related. Your Michigan divorce lawyer has the task of educating you along the way, but it’s also important for you to know and understand the basics so every piece of paperwork and conversation makes sense, and you can agree or object as needed. Here are some divorce 101 definitions that will serve you well now and in the future.
Complaint and Answer
Whoever files for divorce first in a couple files a divorce complaint. This document includes what that person is asking of the court and itemizes the details of their marriage, including children, assets, debts, and more. When the other spouse responds to the complaint, that is called the answer.
Divorce Mediation
The conventional divorce court process can be bypassed through the mediation process, an option that works best for couples who are amicably splitting up and agree on all custody and financial matters. The third-party mediator is an impartial party who helps couples come to workable solutions about how to break down their marriage and obligations in a civil manner.
Divorce Arbitration
A helpful and cost-effective tool in a Michigan divorce, arbitration is often recommended when a divorcing couple cannot come to an agreement on a difficult matter. In arbitration they agree to abide by the arbitrator’s judgment and move past a stalemate without needing to resolve the issue in court.
Interim Orders
Divorces take time, especially when children are involved, often needing as long as one year to complete. In the meantime, life must go on, and couples need to come to agreements about child custody and spousal support especially. Arguments are heard and quickly decided in family court. These interim orders are temporary but legally binding and require each party to follow through where parenting time and finances are concerned.
Divorce Judgment
The divorce judgment is the formal document that legally and officially states a couple is divorced. The document is prepared by your divorce lawyer and presented to the court for settlement. Eventually it is entered by the court as the final decree that grants your divorce. All details of your Michigan divorce are itemized in the divorce judgment, including child custody, child and spousal support, parenting time, division of property, debts and other financial matters.
Post-Judgment Action
Life changes every day, which means your hard-won divorce settlement may need to be tweaked too. A post-judgment action is when you request that the judge enforce or modify your divorce settlement. This action often occurs in matters of increasing, decreasing, or enforcing child support or spousal support payments as well as child custody or parenting time.
Michigan Divorce Lawyer
There is always something to learn in divorce proceedings, but if you know where you are filing (jurisdiction), who is enforcing child support payments (Friend of the Court), and the divorce 101 definitions above, you are off to a good start as you make major life decisions. Get ongoing support from the established family law attorneys at Michigan Divorce Help in Mt. Clemens. Contact us to schedule a consultation.
This blog post does not substitute for legal advice.