Family & Safety

A contested divorce is when the couple cannot agree on something relating to the divorce, including whether the couple should get a divorce. A contested divorce can take more than 18 months to be resolved. Disagreements in a contested divorce may include:

• Whether to get a divorce
• Where the children should live
• Where a companion animal should live
• How much child support Money paid by a parent to help another parent support a minor child or an adult child with a disability should be paid
• How property should be split up
• Who should pay certain debts
• Whether "maintenance Money the court orders one spouse to pay the other spouse after their divorce (formerly called alimony) " or spousal support (alimony) should be paid

An uncontested A case where neither side is going to fight over the issues divorce is when both spouses agree on all of these issues. A judge must still approve the agreement. The terms must be reasonable and cover the support of the children. If one spouse files for divorce and the other does not reply by filing an Appearance and Answer, it will be an uncontested divorce. The case will go on without the other spouse, and the court will make decisions based on what the first spouse says. 

At the end of a divorce case (whether contested or uncontested), a judge will issue an order called a "decree," or "judgment An official decision by a court that ends the dispute between parties ," which officially ends the marriage. The divorce judgment will cover the issues below:

• Children
• Property and pets
• Marital debt
• Spousal support