Knowing How to Handle a Divorce

Marriage is one of the oldest and most universal institutions in the world, and cultures worldwide have many variants on particular customs on domestic households and uniting families. However, sometimes marriages may end, and with today’s laws, it is possible for men and women alike to seek separation or file for divorce. Either or both spouses may hire divorce lawyers to support their sides during a divorce, and if there are kids under 18 years old in the household, child support lawyers may be involved, too. Family lawyers may be used in a similar capacity. What are some of the common reasons for filing for divorce today, and how might child support lawyers or other divorce attorneys make this process legal and smooth?

Ending the Marriage

People have just as many reasons to file for a divorce as they do for getting married to start with. Studies have been done to track how often American adults get married and divorced, and why. Some statistics show that Americans are now marrying a little later in their lives, shifting from their first marriage being in their early 20s to their late 20s or even their early 30s. Often, a sense of one’s 20s being their “extended adolescence” may push back marriage. Some might argue, though, that this trend is a positive one, since it gives young adults more time to figure out what they want from their own lives and in a marriage, and to have more finances set aside for married life.

What about divorce? This proceeding used to be fairly rare, but it is more common now, and it has been determined that 40-50% of marriages today end in a divorce. The reasons may vary. A common one may not be surprising: infidelity, when one spouse is unfaithful to the other. This can cause considerable emotional trauma to the other, and cause them to file for a divorce (especially if the infidelity becomes a pattern or habit). Another serious reason to file for divorce is if the other spouse is abusing alcohol or drugs, or if that spouse is verbally or physically abusive to their spouse or kids in the household. Both men and women have proven capable of this sort of abuse toward their spouse, and to their kids. Other reasons for divorce may be less traumatic but no less significant, such as considerable differences in lifestyle or spending habits. Studies show that if two people have a long dating period, such as three years, they are less likely to divorce than two people who dated for under one year before their engagement. The number of previous marriages might also be a factor; those who are married for the third time are more likely to divorce than those who are in their second marriage, and those in their first are less likely still to divorce.

Hiring A Child Support Lawyer or Divorce Attorney

If the disputes, abuse, or other issues between two spouses clearly cannot be reconciled, then one of them will file for divorce, and if kids are involved, child support lawyers may be brought on board as well. In some cases, the spouse who is filing for divorce may fear danger to themselves or their kids, so they may relocate to a different and secret residence during the divorce process. That spouse might not even meet the other spouse in person, instead acting through their lawyers and mediators. And once a spouse is filing for divorce and hires a lawyer to support them, the other spouse may hire their own attorney to represent their side in the case.

During the divorce, the spouses will use their lawyers to negotiate separation and allocation of assets such as money, cars, houses, vacation homes, and even small businesses and custody of under-18 children (the latter may require child support lawyers to settle). In some cases, the child might have his or her own input on which parent they would rather live with. And in more serious cases, one of the spouses might even file to have a restraining order placed against the other, especially in cases of stalking, constant threats, or if the spouse has discovered the secret residence of the other.