Divorce is a difficult, painful, and long process yet couples have no choice but to deal with it when they can’t be together anymore. If this is your case, you must know more about the divorce process to fight for your rights effectively. Each state has their own set of divorce laws, but here are the most common processes you'll undergo before finalizing the divorce.

Legal Separation

Some couples file for legal separation first because it is an easier and faster process. If one of you leaves your place of residence, then your lawyer can petition for a separation agreement from the court. This agreement protects both parties’ interests, especially if you have children, by requiring you both to different legal responsibilities to one another. Better consult with the right Albuquerque divorce lawyer for you as early as now to provide you with legal advice.

Divorce Petition

When you are already legally separated, you can officially file a divorce petition to start the divorce process. If one party files for divorce petition, the other party will have 30 days to respond and get their own lawyer to represent them in this legal process. Both parties can file for a protective and a restraining order, or child support or alimony if necessary.

Divorce Court

If a divorce petition and mediation doesn’t work, you can end up in a divorce court. This is usually for ex-spouses with a number of unresolved issues and differences. You will undergo a divorce trial to present and argue your case to the court. Here, you have to be careful about your every word or action because one wrong move can cost you a lot. The judge has the final say regarding the outcome of the case and the divorce settlement.

Hire the best possible lawyer, so you can be well represented in court. This will help you increase your chances of winning the divorce settlement you deserve.