Can you get divorced without going to court?
Transcript
Hi, welcome, everybody! I’m AJ Grossman, a divorce lawyer with Leap Frog Divorce. I’m also a certified family mediator and dispute resolution specialist.
A lot of people want to know if there’s a way to get divorced without having to go to court. The short answer is absolutely! I’ve helped many clients get divorced without going to court over the years.
There are several ways to approach the process, depending on your circumstances and what works best for you and your spouse.
Hire a Mediator
One option is to hire a mediator to help you and your spouse work through the issues, compromise, and reach a settlement agreement.
Some mediators can prepare your settlement agreement. Once that’s complete, the remaining paperwork can be prepared and filed with the court. In some courts, you can submit your paperwork directly to the judge for review. If everything is in order, the judge can enter your final judgment, and your divorce will be finalized.
Another option is to work with a mediator to settle everything and then hire a lawyer to handle the remaining paperwork. A lawyer can prepare the necessary documents, submit them to the judge, and help you obtain your final judgment.
Once the final judgment is entered, your lawyer will receive a copy. You can also obtain a certified copy from the clerk’s office if you choose.
Collaborative Divorce
Another option is collaborative divorce.
In my experience, after more than a decade of helping clients through divorce, collaborative divorce is a wonderful alternative for many families. It offers numerous benefits, but one of the biggest is that it allows you to get divorced without having to go through traditional courtroom proceedings.
The process is private and confidential, and you rarely, if ever, have to set foot in a courtroom.
Many courts allow the required paperwork to be submitted by mail so the judge can review it and enter the final judgment. Some courts may require a final hearing, but these hearings are generally very brief. You may only need to appear for 30 to 60 seconds before the hearing is over.
Collaborative divorce can help you resolve your divorce outside the courtroom while keeping the focus on reaching an agreement that works for your family.
Kitchen Table Divorce
Another option is what I call a kitchen table divorce.
This is where you and your spouse sit down together with a pad of paper and a pen and work through the issues yourselves. You write down the issues, explore your options, negotiate, and compromise.
If you can reach a settlement agreement, you may be able to prepare and file your own paperwork with the court and obtain your final judgment.
Alternatively, you can hire a lawyer by the hour to handle the paperwork for you. You can explain that you’ve already reached an agreement on everything and simply need help preparing the necessary documents, submitting them to the judge, and obtaining your final judgment.
Many lawyers, including myself, can help with this type of arrangement.
Explore Your Options for Divorce Without Court
These are just a few of the ways you may be able to get divorced without going to court. The right approach depends on your circumstances, your ability to reach an agreement, and the requirements of your local court.
I hope you found this information helpful!
Again, my name is AJ Grossman. I’m a divorce lawyer, certified family mediator, and dispute resolution specialist with Leap Frog Divorce.
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Be well!
