What Happens During Divorce, and What Can I Expect?

In any divorce, there are a number of things that will happen. The two most important things to remember are that the decisions you make will affect you for the rest of your life and that the decisions made during your divorce will have a lasting impact on your children.

The first thing that will happen is that one spouse will file for divorce. The filing spouse is known as the petitioner, and the other spouse is known as the respondent. The petitioner will need to file a petition with the court and will need to provide a number of documents, including a marital settlement agreement, financial affidavits, and a parenting plan.

The respondent will then have a chance to respond to the petition. They will have the opportunity to agree to the terms of the divorce, or they may choose to contest the divorce. If the respondent does not respond to the petition, the petitioner may be able to obtain a default judgment.

Once the divorce is filed, the court will schedule a hearing. The hearing will be held in front of a judge, and the judge will make a decision about the terms of the divorce. The judge may order the parties to attend mediation, or the parties may choose to attend mediation on their own.

The judge will also issue a final decree of divorce. This decree will state the terms of the divorce, including the division of assets, the division of debts, and the custody and support of the children. The decree will be binding on the parties and will be enforced by the court.