When Wheat Ridge divorce proceedings are started, it can go one of two ways: contested or uncontested. An amicable court case, where the parties agree to the key terms of the proceedings, is known as an uncontested divorce. On the other hand, when a party refuses to sign the court papers or does not agree to the marriage dissolution, it is known as contested. The type of separation affects the way the initial documents are filed. Let’s take a closer look at each of these types of divorce and how an experienced Arvada divorce attorney can support you no matter which type of court case you are facing. Read more about the Divorce process.
Wheat Ridge Family Law Attorney: Contested Divorce
A contested divorce is obviously not the ideal type as it tends to take longer to finalize, but it is often an unavoidable situation. With these types of Wheat Ridge marriage dissolution, the judge is tasked with making the final decision on any issues the parties were unable to agree on. At the Permanent Orders Hearing, each side can present evidence and testimony to support their position on contested issues. Many times in a contested case, the parties agree on most of the items, but just one or two issues (like child custody or maintenance payments) are a point of contention. It then becomes the responsibility of the Jefferson County District Court judge to make a ruling on the contested issues. The judge’s ruling is entered as a permanent order. If you are dealing with a contested divorce, you definitely don’t want to handle this type of hearing without attorney representation. Read more about marriage dissolution.
Wheat Ridge Marriage Dissolution and Family Law Attorney: Uncontested Divorce
In an uncontested Jefferson County, Colorado separation, all the terms of the divorce are agreed upon by the parties. These items can be decided between the parties themselves, with a mediator, or with the assistance of knowledgeable attorneys, like those from the Wheat Ridge Pearman Law Firm. A judge is involved in an uncontested case, but only to enter the order that has previously been agreed upon by the parties. It is rare for a judge to dispute the proposed agreement, unless there are obvious legal problems or one of the parties is being strong-armed by the other. You want to make sure in these types of cases that you do not rush any decisions just to get the case finalized. Make sure you consider what is in your best long-term interest before agreeing to anything.
Even in an uncontested marriage dissolution case, it’s important to have someone who makes sure that any agreements made are in your best interest and that you take the time to consider everything instead of rushing through important decisions. Sometimes, one of the parties convinces the other to agree to a bad deal. Your own Lakewood family law lawyer can help you spot problems and predict what a judge would give you without an agreement.
If you are in the process of or preparing for a divorce or dissolution in Wheat Ridge, Arvada, or Lakewood, contact the best marriage dissolution attorneys from the Pearman Law firm for a initial phone consultation at 303-991-7600 today. We can protect your family.