A Quick Guide To The Divorce Process

The divorce attorneys at the Law Office of Daniel Hutto can help you understand and navigate the divorce process. From start to finish, here's a rundown of the 9 phases of a divorce.

1. Filing the Dissolution Petition

When you wish to acquire a divorce, the first step is to file a petition for dissolution. People must file their applications for dissolution with the court that has jurisdiction to hear the case, according to A.R.S. 25-311.

2. Process Serving and Reaction

The court will send you a notice and summons to answer when you submit your petition and other papers. You must serve your spouse with copies of the petition, summons, and any other legal documents filed in the case. Your spouse will be referred to as the respondent and you as the petitioner. You have the option of hiring a private process server or having your spouse served by the sheriff's department.

3. Interim Orders

People will sometimes file requests for temporary orders or preliminary injunctions at the same time they file divorce petitions under A.R.S. 25-315. Temporary orders can be requested by either party, including the respondents. While the divorce is still pending, these orders lay out the groundwork for how various issues will be handled.

4. The Investigation Process

The divorce case will enter the discovery phase when the petition and response have been submitted. You and your spouse are both entitled to information about your assets and other essential aspects of your case from each other.

5. Reaching a Settlement

Except in circumstances of domestic violence, drug or alcohol addiction, child abuse, or those who may be hiding assets, it is frequently preferable to try to settle a divorce dispute by negotiation. People who successfully negotiate divorce settlements are often happier than those who let the judge decide.

6. Divorce Case

If you and your spouse are unable to reach an agreement, your divorce case will go to a divorce trial. Each of you will have the opportunity to present evidence, call witnesses, give testimony, and submit exhibits at your trial. You and your spouse will almost certainly be called to testify and face cross-examination by the opposing counsel.

7. Child Custody and Divorce

If you and your spouse have minor children, you must submit a petition for dissolution with minor children. You and your husband will need to work up a parenting plan in this type of divorce. If you can't agree, you'll each have to submit a parenting plan to the court.

8. Child Support Calculation

Child support is another problem that will come up in a divorce involving children in Arizona. Both parents are obligated to contribute financially to their child's upbringing under A.R.S. 25-501. Courts in Arizona can use child support standards to determine how much money to order. This can make the amount of child support you pay or receive more predictable.

9. Considering Your Children's Best Interests

If you and your spouse cannot agree on child custody, the court will consider the reasons mentioned in A.R.S. 25-403. Whether or not you go to trial over child custody, you should act in a way that minimizes emotional injury to your children during and after your divorce.

Do You Have Divorce-Related Questions?

Divorce is a difficult process for most people. Contact the Law Office of Daniel Hutto for assistance and guidance if you wish to dissolve your marriage or have been issued with a divorce petition. Call us today at (602) 536-7878 for a one-on-one consultation with one of our experience family law attorneys.

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