Next Steps for a Divorce or Custody Case

The first step in every divorce or custody issue is to decide if this will be contested or uncontested.   By uncontested I mean will your spouse or other parent agree with you.  If they will, you can file an uncontested divorce or uncontested custody order.   Maybe you don’t know if your spouse will agree?  The best way to find out is ask.

Visit our uncontested divorce worksheet.  Complete this worksheet with the terms of the divorce you would like to see.  You will get an email with the completed worksheet.  Forward the email to your spouse and ask if they agree with the terms.  You can accomplish the same thing by printing the completed worksheet and handing it to your spouse.   If they agree, or mostly agree then you have an uncontested divorce.  If they don’t agree then you have a contested divorce.   For custody matters, you don’t need a worksheet.  You would simply ask the other parent if they agree with your custody wishes.

Next Steps For a Contested Divorce

Your now know your divorce or custody issue is going to be contested.   Your next step is to start our Divorce Course or Custody Course.  The Divorce Course is a series of guides, articles and videos that will help prepare your for a divorce.  The course will explain the divorce process, define vocabulary used in court,  explain your rights,  answer most of your basic questions, and give you an understanding of costs.   The same is true with the Custody Course.   The purpose of this divorce course is to prepare you for a contested divorce.

After you start your divorce course (or custody course)  it’s time to schedule your call with a divorce attorney.   The purpose of the call is to answer any questions not answered in the divorce course and to discuss what to do next.

Divorce Course

Welcome to the divorce course.  Follow the links below to prepare for a contested divorce.

Divorce Guide  –  Download and review our divorce guide at   This is your first step to starting a divorce.  It will answer the most common questions, and define basic divorce court vocabulary.

Divorce Process  – Review our article describing the contested divorce process.   It is important to have a general understanding of the court process.

Schedule a Call –  If you have not already it is time to schedule your call with a divorce attorney.

Child Custody – If you have children, custody will be one of the biggest concerns.   Review our article on how the courts determine child custody.

Child Support Calculator  –  Next is learning how the courts calculate child support.   Now that you know how the court decides child custody we need to teach you how they calculate child support.

Financial Support –  Monthly money is always a concern.  A divorce will disrupt your monthly finances because couples are use to sharing income for one set of bills.  Now that same amount of income might need to cover two sets of bills, while the divorce is happening.   Whether you make more money than your spouse or vice versa, you want to know how the court handles temporary support income during a divorce.

Financial Disclosures  – The court requires both spouses to disclose certain financial documents.   Pay stubs, copies of deeds, vehicle titles,  bank statements, investment accounts records, and credit card statements will need to be filed with the court   These documents are used to complete a Financial Disclosure Form.   It is never too early to learn what documents and financial information the court will require.   Here is an article and series of short vides explaining how to complete a Financial Disclosure Form (FDF).

Community Property  –   How will the court divide your assets and debts?   Who receives the home, who gets which vehicle, are all the bank accounts divided, and what about the pension?   This articles explains community property and how the court divides your assets and debts.

Spousal Support –  Finally,  let’s discuss whether either spouse will be ordered to pay long term spousal support.  Here is an article on how spousal support works.

Custody Course

Welcome to the custody course.  Follow the links below to prepare for a contested custody matter.

Custody Guide – Download our custody guide.  Our custody guide explains the different types of custody and discussed what a court looks for in awarding primary physical custody.

Child Support Calculator  –  Next is learning how the courts calculate child support.   Now that you understand child custody we need to teach you how the court calculates child support.

Schedule a Call –  If you have not already it is time to schedule your call with a divorce attorney.