Raleigh, N.C. – Rosen Law Firm, the leading divorce firm in North Carolina, announced today it has launched NC Divorce Talk Radio, a set of three online programs: Carolina Roundtable, Rosen Live, and NC One-on-One. Updated regularly, each show provides listeners with in-depth advice and analysis on divorce-related matters and features some of the hottest debates concerning family law in the U.S.



“We decided to launch the first online radio show in the state that specifically targets divorce because its more interactive than a Web site or even a blog,” says Lee Rosen, founder and president of Rosen Law Firm, who has been practicing divorce law for more than twenty years. “And through the Internet, we can literally serve an unlimited number of listeners across the state and throughout the nation.”



Each program on NC Divorce Talk Radio offers interactive ways to obtain the most information on divorce and other family issues: Rosen Live allows listeners to call in at 11 a.m. each Wednesday to have questions answered by an experienced Rosen attorney on topics including child custody and support, alimony, property distribution and separation; NC One-on-One highlights authors, psychologists, and other prominent guests who are called in to talk about the work they’re doing in the family law arena; and Carolina Roundtable features a panel of Rosen attorneys who dive head-on into heated divorce issues in the media with real advice and expert analysis.



Some of the news topics already featured on NC Divorce Talk Radio include Paul McCartney’s spousal entitlement and how he’s protecting his assets, lessons learned from Eliot Spitzer’s prostitution scandal, and what evidence could be used against you in a no-fault divorce.



“We take hot issues that are currently buzzing around in the media and apply them to everyday situations that people here in North Carolina may be facing,” says Rosen.



Tune in to NC Divorce Talk radio at: http://radio.rosen.com/



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About Rosen Law Firm


Rosen Law Firm is one of the largest divorce firms on the East Coast with offices in Raleigh, Charlotte, and Chapel Hill. Founded in 1990, the firm is dedicated to providing individual growth and support to couples seeking divorce by helping them move forward with their lives. Our staffs of attorneys and other legal professionals expertly address the complex issues of ending a marriage. Our innovative approach acknowledges that divorce is so much more than just a legal matter. Practice areas include child custody, alimony, property distribution, separation agreements, and domestic violence relief. For more information visit: www.rosen.com

One of the U.K.’s top celebrity couples officially has called it quits — nearly four years to the day after they married.

Pop singer-songwriter Peter Andre, whose work is better known in Britain, candinavia, and Australia than in North America, received a “quickie” divorce through expertise divorce lawyer in North Carolina from former glamour model and television personality Jordan (real name Katie Price) yesterday. Both spouses cited “unreasonable behavior” and claimed that their union had “broken down irretrievably” in their divorce law petitions, which they had submitted to London’s High Court.

Neither Andre nor Price attended the hearing. District Judge Hilary Bradley granted the divorce, saying that the couple couldn’t “reasonably be expected” to live ogether any longer.

“He feels a great sense of relief that he can start his life afresh without Katie,” an anonymous friend of Andre told English tabloid The Sun. Meanwhile, Price’s former fiancé, British TV actor Warren Furman, told the same paper: “I’m going to get in touch with Pete and ask him if he wants to join the Great Escape club with me, because we’ve both had great escapes from Jordan.”

Andre himself was appearing on the British TV program This Morning as the divorce was being finalized.

Andre, 36, and Price, 31, met in 2004 when they both starred on the reality-TV series I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!. They married on September 10 the following year. The couple has a four-year-old son, Junior Savva Andrea, and a two-year-old daughter, Princess Tiaamii. The family starred in their own ITV reality series, Katie & Peter, until the couple separated in May.

Katie Price also has a seven-year-old son, Harvey, from a previous relationship with soccer star Dwight Yorke.

Peter Andre’s hit songs in Britain include “Mysterious Girl”, “Flava” “I Feel You”, and “Insania”. His new album, Revelation, is set for U.K. release on Monday.

CALIFORNIA — A 2007 appellate divorce case has brought recent light to the subject of full financial disclosure in California divorce law.

In In re Marriage of Feldman, a businessman did not disclose certain assets and financial transactions to his wife, although she repeatedly requested the information. Among the information Feldman wouldn’t reveal was the formation of several new companies. Mrs. Feldman had learned about her husband’s undisclosed assets before the divorce trial and provided her own investigation into the discovery.

Feldman claimed that his lack of disclosure was not intentional and that the secret assets were of small value compared to the whole of the estate. However, the California Court of Appeals rejected these arguments, stating that a divorcing spouse has a duty to disclose everything, which is mandatory until all assets are divided, and that such refusal to do so is not acceptable. According to the Court, Feldman was obliged to disclose all material information in writing, continue to supplement the discovery, and disclose material info before any new project began.

In the end, even though the hidden assets and transactions had not economically damaged Mrs. Feldman in any way, the trial court decided that Feldman should pay his wife $250,000 in sanctions for his failure to comply with the requested disclosure — as well as another $140,000 in her attorney fees. The court ordered the sanctions under the sections of the TX Family Law Code related to fiduciary duty.

The moral seems to be that hiding important financial information from your spouse is never a good idea. The consequences of doing so, such as the results of the Feldman case, could be far more costly than simply agreeing to a fair property division.

KNOXVILLE — With the numerous public scandals and other news concerning politics and marital or sexual relationships over the years, you wouldn’t think that the divorce of a state’s major power couple would go unnoticed by the media for long. Yet it wasn’t until this past week that Tennessee Divorce law news sources got hold of the divorce of former state House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh — which happened back in July.

Knoxville News Sentinel political columnist Tom Humphrey broke the story in his blog on February 5. It seems Naifeh, 69, and lobbyist wife Betty Anderson ended their 13-year marriage quietly in a Tipton County court; although they did not make any formal public announcement of theDivorce law Tennessee Anderson expressed surprise at the lack of news coverage.

Naifeh, who entered Tennessee’s House of Representatives in 1974 and served as its Speaker from 1991 until last month, married Anderson in 1995. The marriage was controversial because Anderson’s work as a top legislative lobbyist made many people consider the union to be a conflict of interest. However, the couple insisted to the media that they went to great lengths to avoid such conflicts; Naifeh frequently took positions on issues that opposed his wife’s.

Both Anderson and Naifeh claim that the divorce was amicable. “Jimmy and I have always had a great mutual respect for one another,” Anderson told the News Sentinel, “and we always will. We’re still friends.”

Naifeh spoke to the same paper in a separate interview. “We used the same attorney, if that tells you anything,” he said when asked about the friendliness of the dissolution.

Jimmy Naifeh is a Democrat who represents Tipton and Heywood Counties in Tennessee. He has been succeeded by Republican Kent Williams as Speaker of the state’s House of Representatives.

Lots of complicated things come up with divorce case of marital partners. You can see such partners go through emotional stress and the lives of their children are also in risk.  Many changes occur in certain time. So in order to settle the things Tacoma Divorce Lawyer instruct the clients what to do in the present situation. In such time temporary court orders are sanctioned and with this make an entrance for the lawyers to draft orders that unable the parties to draw money from the bank accounts and canceling insurance policies until the orders have been finalized for both the parties. Such issues takes much time for settlement and it can draw up to one year or more. The lawyers or Divorce Attorney Tacoma is well experienced in family law which includes divorce, marriage, child custody, property and maintenance.

Washington State Divorce Laws are increasing day by day. The domestic violence needs more experienced lawyers to handle it for protecting the clients from loses. There are certain laws included only to protect the domestic violence victims as per their need. The prosecution must include and give chance of a full hearing to the respondent within legally sanctioned time to respond to the allegations. A person can ask for issuing an order for protection and it is possible and with the help of your divorce attorney you can settle the things well in advance. After divorce the consequent results like property distribution, child custody, maintenance, etc can also be solved by your same divorce lawyer.

Your lawyer will make you understand about Washington state divorce laws which includes all types of solutions regarding residency, distribution of property, documents required for filing divorce, child support, child custody, alimony, etc. It is necessary have a complete residency certificate to file a case in Washington DC. And the partners must complete at least six months stay in Washington DC to file a divorce case. In case failure of showing such proves, the case may be dismissed or it will not be accepted for hearing. So please do make certain things clear when you are going to file a divorce case.

If you are going through the trauma of divorce then it is the best to know the rules. Read on as we tell you some facts about divorce…

Child support is an important issue in a divorce case. The laws across the various states of USA are more or less uniform on this. There are various child support programs and funding by the state.  Most follow the Family Support Act of 1988 to the core. The main motto of this law is that the interest of the child will prevail over all other’s interest. Payment for child support is calculated on the basic of three formulas. The first is Income Shares. This is the most used formula where an estimate of the total amount required for raising a child properly is calculated. Then the both the parents income is calculated and a certain percentage is fixed for the child fund. The second method is called Percentage of Obligor Income. This is based on the non custodian’s income. The third method is known as Delaware-Melson method. This allows the clause of ability to pay in the process. Some states like Massachusetts use a hybrid of all these methods. The main purpose of all these laws is to make sure that the child receives the best education and lifestyle. .

The rate of divorce has increases manifold over the years. Most educated couples believe that it is better to have divorce than a broken marriage. A divorce is always a very difficult and serious decision for any couple. Irrespective of the time that they have spent in matrimony, divorce can be tough proposition. Not only does it tax the concerned parties mentally and economically but there are other important issues like child custody, property share and alimony to be settled.

Divorce Recovery Suite is a private organization which provide all the information and help that a couple requires prior to divorce and after it. Their comprehensive site includes divorce laws, child support and custody, legal separations, child visitation rights, divorce settlements, grounds for divorce, separation agreements, definitions of adultery, recovery from divorce, child welfare after divorce and a chat room that provides a passionate help to all the couples who are undergoing this uncomfortable process.

The visitors to the site can also get hold of state specific divorce laws and regulations, simple interpretation of the complex laws, live chat and video room where people can share their experiences and problems. Visitors are encourages to listen to others problems and provide solutions to those problems. You also get assess to a country wide list of divorce and separation attorneys, counselors, physical and spiritual healing methods, father’s and grandparents’ rights and solutions to issues of parental alienation. They have regular updated information on the site.

Alimony issues also play an important role during a divorce. This refers to the amount that is paid by one ex-spouse to the other. Some also call this maintenance law or spouse support. Initially courts had a tendency of deciding on the alimony amount directly proportional to the number of year stayed together. But recently the trend is shifting. Now limited duration marriages draw maximum alimony. A spouse who is economically at a disadvantage receives this amount. Alimony is also more common in cases where one parent desires to stay home to care for the children for a period of time.

This article explains the Rhode Island divorce process from pre- filing considerations through trial including Rhode Island divorce law strategy.

Finding a Rhode Island Divorce attorney/ lawyer

The first step in obtaining a divorce from your spouse is finding a Rhode Island attorney who you are comfortable with. Many attorneys give free initial consultations while others charge for the first consult. I have always taken the position that the initial consultations will be free.

It is important to ask the proposed lawyer about his or her experience and qualifications to handle your case. It is also crucial to determine the hourly charge and the amount of any initial fee or retainer. Article By David Slepkow (401-437-1100)

Cost of Rhode Island Divorce

It is often impossible to determine how much a divorce will cost from beginning to end. However, it is a good idea to get an educated estimation of the eventual fee. This will never usually be more than a estimation because the cost of the divorce usually depends on several factors. Those factors could include how quickly a settlement is reached, the number of motions that each party will file, the amount / nature and complexity of assets to be equitably divided, the amount of documents involved in the case, the animosity of the parties to each other, the waiting time while you are in court and many other potential issues.

The Golden Rule is that the longer it takes to reach a settlement the more the divorce will cost because the lawyers will spend a lot more time working on the case. If there is no settlement and the case goes to trial or the day of trial, the divorce could get very expensive. If everything is agreed or nearly agreed to and the parties are relatively amicable then the divorce should take a lot less time and therefore be much less expensive.

Uncontested divorces in Rhode Island should be much less expensive then contested divorces. However, there are many different types of uncontested divorces. There are uncontested divorces with no real assets and uncontested divorces with assets to divide. If the divorce is uncontested and there are assets then the lawyer may need to prepare a property settlement agreement, deeds, qualified domestic relation orders etc. Therefore, the cost of an uncontested divorce could vary depending on the circumstances. For example if a lawyer has to draft a property settlement agreement , the lawyer will devote more time to the case.

I believe that a fair price for an uncontested divorce from soup to nuts in Rhode Island with no assets and no property settlement agreement is about $800 flat fee plus costs. The typical costs are a filing fee of $100 and service of process fees of approximately $40.

Intake process and drafting Rhode Island divorce Documents

After you have retained the lawyer there is typically an intake process in which the lawyer gets the basic information so that he or she can properly represent you. The lawyer typically drafts the divorce documents and you sign them in front of him/her or another notary. These documents include a divorce complaint, DR(6) financial statement, statement of children of the marriage, counseling statement, report of divorce, summons and automatic divorce order etc. It is important that the DR6 form otherwise known as financial statement is accurately filled out.

There are many important decisions that may need to be made before you file for divorce in Rhode Island. Strategy is crucial in many instances!

Should I file a motion for temporary Orders in RI?

In some cases, the attorney will file a motion for temporary orders when the divorce complaint is filed. A motion for temporary orders should be filed if the husband or wife is in need of temporary resolution of issues while the case is proceeding. These temporary motions typically request temporary child support, payment / contribution to daycare , contribution to medical bills, alimony, payment of household expenses, payment of the mortgage, taxes and insurance.

A motion for temporary orders can also address child visitation and child custody issues related to the minor children as well as issues concerning exclusive use and possession of the marital home. The temporary motion can also request temporary orders concerning: restraining orders both financial and personal and a myriad of other temporary issues. The motion for temporary orders will typically be heard by the Court within 30-40 days of the filing of the complaint for divorce.

If no temporary orders enter then there is no legal obligation of a spouse to pay anything while the case is proceeding until there is a decision by the judge or the parties sign a property settlement Agreement. If there are no temporary orders, the financial issues, visitation and custody issues will be up to the parties to figure out while the case is proceeding without the benefit of a court order.

Should I file an emergency motion in A Rhode island divorce?

If there is an emergency in which irreparable harm will be caused if the party has to wait for a court date, then an emergency motion should be filed with the complaint. An emergency motion must either be verified under oath or be accompanied by an affidavit. The attorney will bring the emergency motion to the proper judge and ask for an ex parte order. Ex parte means that the other side is not present to object. The Rhode Island judge will only consider the affidavit and documentation before him. If the judge signs the emergency order than it will be served on your spouse by the constable along with the divorce complaint.

These types of emergency motion typically deal with issues concerning abuse of a child, dissipation or unreasonable spending of marital assets, domestic violence, child abuse or a plethora of other potential emergencies. If there is domestic violence involved in which you are in imminent fear of physical harm or have been abused or threatened with abuse please discuss with the attorney the benefits of filing a separate case called a Complaint Protection from Abuse! Please note that the Complaint Protection from Abuse is very different from an Emergency motion.

The timing of whether the divorce or Complaint Protection from Abuse case is filed first or whether they are filed simultaneously could be crucial to your case.

If an emergency motion is granted and emergency orders enter then a hearing will be set approximately 20 days to determine if the order should stay in effect while the divorce case is proceeding. At that hearing your spouse has an opportunity to contest the motion and tell his or her side of the story. At that hearing, the Court will determine whether the emergency relief will stay in effect while the divorce case proceeds.

Nominal or Contested Track?

When a Rhode Island divorce is filed, the case is put onto one of two tracks, the contested track or the nominal track. The Plaintiff in their initial divorce filing designates the track they desire. The vast majority of divorces filed in Rhode Island are placed on the nominal divorce track. A designation on the “nominal track” does not necessarily mean that the divorce will be uncontested. It usually means that the party who filed believes that the case can be settled relatively quickly or wants the divorce to be settled relatively quickly.

Answer to Divorce Complaint

The defendant must file an answer to the divorce within 20 days of service and absolutely no later than the nominal court date or any motion date. If the Defendant does not answer the case he is subject to being defaulted. A default is when the defendant does not answer the case on a timely basis and the Plaintiff will usually get all of the relief that he or she requests.

Nominal divorce

If the case is put on the nominal track then the clerk will automatically set a nominal divorce hearing upon the Plaintiff filing for divorce. This hearing will typically be scheduled from 65-70 days after the Plaintiff files. In the event that the divorce is not settled by the nominal divorce date then the case will automatically be changed to the contested track

If the matter is not settled by the nominal court date and both parties want to try to resolve the remaining issues in court and believe it is possible to resolve the remaining issues, then the parties can attempt to settle the case in the hallway or conference rooms in the courthouse and put the case through as a nominal uncontested divorce on that date.

If the defendant has not filed an answer, it is dangerous for the defendant to not appear in court at the nominal court date based on representations made by the other party .

I have seen numerous occasions when a souse has assured the other party that it is not necessary to appear in court and not necessary to file an answer and the defendant is defaulted and the other spouse gets 100 percent of the assets of the marriage.

On the date of the nominal divorce hearing, at the call of the calendar, the case will be either ready nominal or the parties will ask the judge to hold the case so they can try to resolve the remaining issues. If the parties cannot resolve the remaining issues they will inform the Court clerk or the judge that the case cannot be settled and the case track will be changed to the contested divorce track. If the case track is changed there will be no hearing that date and the court will inform the parties of the next pretrial conference date.

If the parties ask the clerk to hold the matter they will usually get a substantial amount of time to negotiate the remaining issues in the hallway. Upon settling all the remaining family law issues which may include issues of property division, child support, child custody, child visitation, alimony, contempt issues, restraining order issues etc the clerk should be informed that the case is now ready nominal. At that point the clerk and judge will put you back on the list of cases ready for the nominal hearing

Pursuant to Rhode Island General Law a divorce cannot be resolved without a nominal divorce hearing. At the nominal divorce hearing certain testimony must be elicited in order for the divorce to be granted. In some circumstances, it is necessary to have witnesses to briefly testify. If you don’t have the required witness your case could be delayed or even dismissed and you may waste your time attending court.

For a detailed explanation of whether or not you must have witnesses to testify on your behalf and the residency requirement for filing a Rhode island Divorce please go to my Ezine article “”Rhode Island Divorce Law FAQS How Long Until It’s Over? Residency Requirements & No Fault Divorce.” EzineArticles 14 March 2007. 15 July 2007 .

Most Rhode Island divorce and family law attorneys have done these nominal hearing hundreds of times. It is a very bad idea for a person to represent himself or herself in a divorce! As the old adage goes a person who represents themselves has a fool for a lawyer. Since everything you have worked so hard for is on the line it is foolish to go through the Rhode Island divorce process without Rhode Island divorce and family law lawyer.

If the case was originally placed on the contested track calendar, then the clerk did not schedule any automatic nominal court date. If the case later becomes settled then the parties can ask the clerk for permission to come on a particular date for the nominal divorce hearing. Otherwise the parties can wait for a motion date or the pretrial date to do the nominal divorce hearing.

Discovery in RI Divorce. How do I get information about my Spouse?

After the divorce is filed the Plaintiff and or the defendant can at their option proceed with “discovery”. Discovery in general is the process by which the parties get information or admissions from the other party. Discovery is most important and perhaps crucial in a case when a spouse is unaware of the nature and extent of the marital property and estate. Discovery can be also useful to obtain documents or other tangible evidence that is needed for settlement or trial.

The Rhode Island discovery process also can be used to obtain admissions of certain allegations. While it is unethical and perhaps immoral for a person to lie about cheating or an affair to their spouse it is not illegal or criminal for a person to lie to their spouse about an affair. If a person lies under oath either in testimony or in a written document under oath they may be committing the crime of perjury.

Also if a judge believes a party is lying under oath there could be stiff sanctions and penalties including a referral to the attorney general for prosecution. However, in reality, most incidents of lying in family court are not prosecuted as crimes. Many attorneys use request for admissions or interrogatories to force the other party to state under oath whether or not they had an affair and the extent and details concerning the extra-marital affair / cheating/ infidelity.

There are several discover mechanisms that can be used: interrogatories, request for production of documents, request for admissions, depositions, subpoena duces tecum, subpoenas etc.

Interrogatories-what are they? are they worth the time and effort?

Interrogatories are written questions that a party may sends to the other party. Each side is allowed up to 32 interrogatories. Interrogatories can be helpful in obtaining lists of assets, allegations that will be made by your spouse or other useful information. This information requested can run the gamut from child support to marital infidelity and may include: child custody issues, child visitation, drug and alcohol abuse, gambling addiction, alimony, health insurance issues, real estate issues, estate planning and trust issues, personal injury claims, domestic violence / restraining orders, criminal history, valuation of assets, mental health history and any Rhode Island family law issues.

Interrogatories must be answered in the time frame set by the Rhode island domestic Court Rules. Interrogatories are usually partially written and also reviewed by your husband or wifes’ lawyer. Therefore, while a valuable tool there are some limitations to the usefulness of the information received.

Request for Admissions

Requests for admissions when used appropriately can be a powerful discovery tool in a RI divorce. Request for admissions are written requests usually prepared by the attorney, which the other party must reply within a short period of time. If the party does not reply to the request for admissions within the applicable time the allegation will be deemed admitted.

Should I take the Deposition of my spouse in a RI Divorce?

A Deposition is when a party usually through their lawyer can ask their spouse questions under oath in front of a court reporter. In Rhode Island family Court, a party must obtain leave of court / permission from the court in order to take a deposition. Motions to take deposition of the other party are almost always granted by Family Court Judges. Depositions are powerful yet expensive discovery tools. A deposition usually is effective because the attorney can ask the other party questions face to face. The attorney can ask follow up questions and can ask questions in different ways. This is particularly effective if a party is being evasive or less than forthcoming. There is very little the other attorney can do to help their clients answer the questions during a deposition.

Depositions are very expensive because the Court reporters transcript could cost several hundred dollars. Also the attorney doing the deposition will need perhaps several hours to prepare for the deposition. Also both attorneys will need to attend the deposition, which could take up to several hours. Depositions are usually better ways to get information about sensitive topics then interrogatories.

Request for Production of Documents

Request for production of documents is a list of requested documents that must be responded to within the applicable time period. I find this discovery tool to be particularly successful in obtaining documents and records concerning: pension plan documents, 401k records, retirement accounts, health insurance records, stock accounts, estate planning documents, bank statements, real estate documents etc.

Subpoena

A Subpoena Duces Tecum can be very effective in obtaining documents from third parties such as bank records, stock records, employment and wage records and other documents.

The third part of this three part series which is coming soon addresses preparing for a Divorce trial to the actual divorce trial to the entry of Final Judgment

Trial

If a case cannot be settled, the Court will send the parties a notice of a pretrial conference. At the pretrial conference the Judge may make some effort to help the parties settle the divorce. If the case is not settled then the judge will schedule the matter for a trial.

Houston divorce lawyers are busier than ever nowadays. Divorce is on the rise in the United States. Newly released data indicates that 43 percent of first marriages end in separation or divorce within 15 years. And Texas is no exception. There were 78072 divorces in the state in 2006. If you’re a resident of Houston, and are faced with divorce proceedings, you’ll find expert legal help to guide you through these trying times.



Divorce can have devastating repercussions on the couple and especially on any children involved. For this reason, the whole divorce proceeding needs to be carried out as professionally as possible to minimize any unpleasantness. This means hiring an attorney to handle your case. Hiring an attorney is essential for these reasons.



Firstly, only a Houston divorce lawyer will have his finger on the pulse of the Texas judicial marriage law. Divorce law is complex, and there are often related important matters such as child custody, child support and alimony/spousal support. Only a trained and dedicated professional can effectively handle such matters.



Many people nowadays search for divorce information online and try going it alone. But any blunder in the divorce process can end up being very expensive both financially and emotionally. Plus, knowing your case is in the hands of a capable Houston divorce lawyer will do wonders for you state of mind and allow you relax and think clearly about your future.



Equally importantly, a reputable, experienced divorce lawyer will keep you informed of your rights and any options available to you. This means you are better able to get what you are legally entitled to.



Having determined that the use of a lawyer is essential for your divorce proceedings, you have to find the right attorney for you.



When considering a Houston divorce lawyer for your case, make sure you get the following facts. Firstly, find out how much experience the lawyer has with divorce cases. Does the lawyer specialize in divorce? Is advice provided to you on the tax implications of the divorce? What kinds of resources are available to minimize the stress and anguish of the divorce case?



Then you need to consider the matter of payment and make sure everything is clear upfront. Get an estimate of the total legal costs you’ll need to pay your Houston divorce lawyer. You need to determine the hourly rate and ascertain everything that’s charged for. What other expenses will be itemized? Does the lawyer demand a retainer before starting work? (i.e. charges for other professional services such as private investigation or psychologist’s reports.)



Getting the answers to all these questions will allow you to find the right Houston divorce lawyer for your needs. But though these questions about experience, expertise, and affordability are crucial, ultimately, you need a lawyer who you trust and feel comfortable with. Choosing the right Houston divorce lawyer for your case will ensure that proceedings are concluded swiftly and amicably thus saving you the financial and emotional burden of drawn out proceedings which may turn acrimonious if not handled competently.

Nobody goes into a marriage looking at the reality of divorce a few years down the road, but it happens with many marriages these days. The first thing you need to do is make sure that both you and your spouse have agreed that divorce is your best option. In some states, divorce law mandates that both of you attend marital counseling sessions before divorce proceedings can start, so be aware of the requirements in your state.



If both you and your spouse agree that divorce is your best option, and that marital counseling is just going to delay the inevitable, then you may be a candidate for what is known as an uncontested divorce. Are any and virtually all assets that you jointly own able to be easily divided, where you and your spouse can mutually agree on how to divide them? If so, then an uncontested divorce might be your easiest option and your most cost effective option.



But one of the things that you must make sure you fully understand is the divorce is final. It is not like a trial separation where a couple separates for awhile to understand how life works for them without the other one around. Sure, you can change your mind before the proceedings are finalized, but that is going to cost you even more money, not to mention the personal time you will have used to get to this point.



The other thing you need to fully understand is exactly what is meant by the term uncontested divorce. Generally speaking, it means that both parties agree that a divorce is their best option and nothing will be argued about, either in terms of the divorce itself or in the division of assets. Typically, a couple who is doing an uncontested divorce may have already split their assets and may not even be living together, so the divorce for them is almost just a formality.



Should you do it yourself or consult with a divorce lawyer? A lot of the answer to that question is how far you trust your spouse. If it is truly uncontested and you are 100% confident that no skeletons will jump out of the closet during the proceedings, then you can probably do it yourself and save some money. But if you do not have that level of confidence, even though on the surface it would seem that the divorce would be uncontested, you may want to protect yourself by consulting with a divorce lawyer first.



A good divorce lawyer may be just a consultation or two, where the lawyer lets you know what your rights are and what you can expect. If you truly expect the divorce NOT to be uncontested, you may want to consider actually hiring the lawyer to be with you every step of the way. While the latter option is of course going to cost you more, consider how much more it may cost you if your spouse pulls a rabbit out of the hat during the proceedings, where you are not prepared for something which is going to definitely turn out to NOT be an uncontested divorce. This is a judgment call on your part, but especially in financial terms, it may be better to err on the side of caution to ensure that you do not get hosed in the process.



If you do use a lawyer, do your research carefully. Make sure that the lawyer you choose is familiar with divorce law in your state, and has experience with what was expected to be an uncontested divorce and actually turns into something else. Every situation is different, so be cautious of divorce lawyers who suggest a cookie-cutter approach.



Since you are considering divorce, things have not been good up to this point. Make sure that you do everything you can to make your divorce go smoothly and allow yourself to restart your life on the right foot.