Almost everyone who comes to see me as a Buffalo Divorce Attorney will say, “My divorce is uncontested,” but they don’t always end up that way. The term, uncontested divorce, means that you’ve come into the office after you’ve had some general discussion with your spouse, and your spouse is not going to object to your going ahead on your own and getting the divorce. In other words, they’re not going to hire a lawyer to contest the divorce. They’re not going to become involved in negotiations with the law firm on issues of child access and support and division of property. That’s what an uncontested divorce is.
A contested divorce means that, after your spouse has been served, that person will go out and hire a lawyer who will answer the summons that has been served upon them. Next, the attorneys for both the husband and wife discuss the issues and there’s court intervention designed to assist the parties in arriving at a resolution, either by agreement or after a hearing. If the matter is uncontested, the other party just doesn’t respond and doesn’t do anything. A contested divorce is one in which the other party answers that summons and starts to negotiate and discuss some of the issues that divide the parties.
Are you wondering which type of divorce is best for your situation? Contact dedicated Buffalo Divorce Attorney Michael Ranzenhofer for guidance.
This educational legal blog was brought to you by Michael Ranzenhofer, an experienced Buffalo Divorce Attorney.