"Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union."
Legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body.
Divorce Laws: Understanding the legal process and requirements for getting a divorce in your state.
Grounds for Divorce: Knowing the possible legal reasons for divorce such as adultery, cruelty, abandonment, etc.
Types of Divorce: Differentiating between the various types of divorce such as uncontested, contested, fault or no-fault, and collaborative divorce.
Separation: Realizing the difference between a separation and a divorce, and how separation agreements may be incorporated into a later divorce decree.
Property Division: Understanding how property is divided among the spouses during a divorce, including community property, equitable division, and property distribution agreements.
Alimony: Learning about spousal support or alimony and how it is determined or awarded in a divorce case.
Child Custody: Knowing the best interests of the child standard, joint custody, sole custody, and how decisions are made regarding the child's welfare.
Child Support: Understanding how child support is calculated, enforced, and modified, and who has the responsibility to pay it.
Visitation Rights: Recognizing the value and importance of visitation arrangements and parenting plans, and how they affect children.
Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution: Considering alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation, arbitration, and negotiation processes, and how they may benefit both parties.
Domestic Violence: Observing the effects of domestic violence on families and children, and how it may impact a divorce case.
Financial Planning: Recognizing the importance of financial planning and consulting during the divorce and separation process, including asset protection, tax implications, and short-term/long-term planning.
Post-Divorce Issues: Knowing the importance of post-divorce issues such as parenting plans, relocation, modification of court orders, and enforcement of court orders.
Collaborative Law: Collaborative law is a method of alternative dispute resolution where both parties agree not to go to court and work together with their attorneys to reach a divorce agreement.
LGBTQIA+ Divorce: Understanding the unique issues that may arise for members of the LGBTQIA+ community in divorce cases, including property and parental rights.
International Divorce: Understanding the legal and jurisdictional issues that may arise when divorcing a partner from a different country.
Uncontested Divorce: Uncontested divorce is a type of divorce where both parties agree on all aspects of the divorce, such as property division, alimony, child support, and child custody.
Contested Divorce: Contested divorce is a type of divorce where one or both parties disagree on one or more aspects of the divorce, such as property division, alimony, child support, and child custody. In this type of divorce, a judge is involved in settling the disputes.
Fault Divorce: Fault divorce is a type of divorce where one spouse is alleging that the other spouse is at fault for the failure of the marriage. Common grounds for fault divorce include adultery, abandonment, cruelty, and substance abuse.
No-Fault Divorce: No-fault divorce is a type of divorce where neither party is alleging that the other spouse is at fault for the failure of the marriage. Instead, the parties are simply stating that the marriage is not working and they want a divorce.
Collaborative Divorce: Collaborative divorce is a type of divorce where both parties work together with their lawyers to reach a settlement without going to court.
Mediated Divorce: Mediated divorce is a type of divorce where both parties work with a neutral mediator to help them reach a settlement without going to court.
Default Divorce: Default divorce is a type of divorce where one party fails to respond to the divorce petition or fails to show up in court, and the court enters a default judgment in favor of the other spouse.
Annulment: An annulment is a legal procedure that declares a marriage invalid. Grounds for annulment include fraud, duress, bigamy, and incapacity.
Summary Divorce: Summary divorce is a type of divorce that is available in some states for couples who meet certain criteria, such as a short marriage, no children, and limited assets. Summary divorce is typically less complicated and less expensive than other types of divorce.
"Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the bonds of matrimony between a married couple under the rule of law of the particular country or state."
"It can be said to be a legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body."
"...which may involve issues of distribution of property, child custody, alimony (spousal support), child visitation / access, parenting time, child support, and division of debt."
"Divorce laws vary considerably around the world..."
"...divorce allows each former partner to marry another person."
"Divorce is different from annulment, which declares the marriage null and void..."
"...with legal separation or de jure separation (a legal process by which a married couple may formalize a de facto separation while remaining legally married)."
"The Vatican City is a state ruled by the head of the Catholic Church, a religion that does not allow for divorce."
"The only countries that do not allow divorce are the Philippines and the Vatican City."
"...divorce for non-Muslim Filipinos is not legal unless one spouse is an undocumented immigrant and satisfies certain conditions."
"Countries that have relatively recently legalized divorce are Italy (1970), Portugal (1975, although from 1910 to 1940 it was possible both for the civil and religious marriage), Brazil (1977), Spain (1981), Argentina (1987), Paraguay (1991), Colombia (1991; from 1976 was allowed only for non-Catholics), Andorra (1995), Ireland (1996), Chile (2004) and Malta (2011)."
"Reasons for divorce vary, from sexual incompatibility or lack of independence for one or both spouses to a personality clash or infidelity."
"In most countries, divorce requires the sanction of a court or other authority in a legal process..."
"...which may involve issues of distribution of property, child custody, alimony (spousal support), child visitation / access, parenting time, child support, and division of debt."
"...from 1976 was allowed only for non-Catholics."
"...Ireland (1996), Chile (2004)..."
"...divorce requires the sanction of a court or other authority in a legal process..."
"...which may involve issues of distribution of property, child custody, alimony (spousal support), child visitation / access, parenting time, child support, and division of debt."
"It is the legal process of ending a marriage."