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What is a contested divorce? 

On Behalf of | Jan 27, 2023 | Divorce & High Asset Divorce |

There are those who believe that a contested divorce means that the outcome is somehow in question. They view it as if the divorce may happen, but it may not, and it is up to the court to decide if the couple can actually end their marriage.

If you’ve been concerned about this, don’t be. This is not how a contested divorce works. What the term actually means is that you and your ex are trying to sort out all of the details, and you don’t necessarily agree on how you should proceed. Maybe you both want sole custody of your child, for example. Maybe you can’t agree on what to do with the marital home or how to split up assets. Maybe your ex is asking for alimony that you don’t think you should be forced to pay.

There are a lot of different details that have to be worked out during a divorce. In a contested divorce, it means that the court has to do this work and make an order for the couple to follow because they simply cannot agree on their own.

These cases can take longer

One thing to remember about a contested divorce is that the case can take a lot longer. When couples are able to come up with their own solutions for how to divide custody or marital assets, they can sometimes present these to the court and simply have them sign off. But if the court has to actively make the decisions, there will be a series of hearings where evidence and arguments are presented. All of this can add a lot of time to the overall process.

As you move toward your divorce, take a moment to look into all of your legal options and the steps that you’ll need to take in your specific situation.

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