We often have clients come in ready for a fight. They want to get back at their spouse for every bit of wrong doing that ever happened in the marriage, whether it be that he or she said they looked fat in a pair of jeans or that he or she was/is having an affair. After speaking with us about the different options, the majority of people leave wanting an uncomplicated uncontested divorce. Uncontested means that you aren’t fighting over custody, property, or the reasons for the divorce. An uncontested divorce is simply an agreement between the parties dissolving their marriage. These agreements have been agreed to by both parties and only need the proper paperwork to be submitted to the Judge. If this sounds like what you’d want, then great! If not, here are some reasons why it might be a good idea for you:
- Uncontested divorces save money: Since you are not spending hours battling back and forth over issues such as candle sticks or Star Wars DVD sets, you aren’t paying a lawyer’s hourly fee. An uncontested agreement is normally a flat fee for a fixed price. You’re essentially paying to not fight it out.
- You control the agreement: A lot of times in divorces people lose sight that as a couple they have control. They can easily stop fighting, sit down, and divvy everything up themselves. The Judge doesn’t know how sentimental your china is to you, or the golf clubs are to him. The Judge wasn’t in the relationship, and doesn’t know exactly how to fairly split everything up. If you control the agreement, you can agree who gets what and make sure that you have both have what you need to move on and start over!
- No Court: Court is stressful and expensive. It is basically putting your entire life, marriage, and secrets on public display for the world to see. It is argumentative and painful. It is also drawn out and boring. You get to sit there thinking of how the meter is running while we, as your combatants, ask pointless foundational questions that are required in order to build proper testimony simply to present your case to the Judge. At the end, you’ll probably end up with an agreement that neither of you feels is fair because you had no choice in the matter!
- It’s quick: Okay it’s not as quick as some may prefer, but it is quicker than a Contested. In some counties in Alabama is takes an easy 2 years to get a divorce. In Jefferson County, you get a year to settle before taking it to trial. That is an entire year of your life fighting, spending money on fighting, and not getting any closure. In an uncontested you sign, and you’re approximately 30 days from a divorce decree!
- You have less drama: A contested divorce is adversarial and painful. In its very nature it is hurtful and dramatic. People aren’t trying to get out as quickly as possible, they are trying to hurt each other and get as much as possible from the other person. In an uncontested, you come together as a married couple and come to an agreement on how to dissolve your marriage amicably. It’s rather uneventful, but it is beneficial to your emotional well-being. If you need the drama – May we suggest a divorce party? White water rafting? Bungee jumping? Laser Tag?