DIVORCE for DUMMIES

With absolutely no slight intended by the title to this blog, this blog will answer some basic questions about divorce.

One of the most frequently asked questions throughout my several decades of family law practice is “how difficult is it to get a divorce”.

My response has always remained the same.

Obtaining a divorce can be simple, and incredibly easy. All that’s needed is your marriage certificate, and some paperwork to be completed and filed. No need for anybody to attend court, and before you know it, Voila, you are single again.

Well maybe I should back up a bit, because there are really two types of getting divorced, contested, and uncontested.

Not hard to figure out what’s involved in a contested divorce, namely two parties either unwilling or unable to arrive at a negotiated resolution of their outstanding family matters. Because matters remain outstanding, courts are not prepared to grant a divorce. In the old days courts would grant divorces before the parties had resolved their differences, but changed their policies, when divorced parties routinely returned to court to try and work out their differences.

Uncontested divorces, sometimes also referred to as desk-order divorces (because there is no need to attend court), is the type of divorce where the parties settle their outstanding family law issues, typically by mean of a Separation Agreement, or Consent Order. While the process of arriving at a settlement can be extremely challenging, the actual divorce part of the process is simple, since there is no need for the party on the receiving end of the divorce paperwork to oppose the divorce.

When it comes to your own divorce, no need to feel like a dummy.

Call me, if you have any questions. It may be the smartest step of all.

Scott Taylor

Taylor Law Group

604-534-6361