Ending a marriage can be a challenging decision, but it can also allow for growth, healing, and the opportunity to thrive as your authentic self away from an unhealthy relationship. In an ideal world, you and your soon-to-be ex will agree on the terms of the separation, such as child support and custody, the reason for the divorce, and how to divide assets. However, you and your spouse may disagree about some or all these terms, which is normal, and need to go through the contested court process.
Dealing with the emotional and psychological impact of ending your relationship while also juggling your everyday life is already a lot to handle. A Southbury contested divorce lawyer on our team understands your struggles and will work with you to create an empowering and effective solution. Collaborating with a capable divorce attorney at our firm can help alleviate some of your stress and give you the peace of mind of knowing a professional is taking care of legal matters for you.
When a couple seeks to end their marriage, many potential sources of conflict may be present and need to be sorted out in the proper channels. For example, they may have fundamental disagreements about the filing spouse’s reason for asking to end their marriage in the first place—e.g., adultery or irreconcilable differences—as found in Connecticut General Statutes § 46b-40. Likewise, one spouse may believe the proper way to divide up their assets is to do so in one configuration, whereas the other spouse may have an entirely different idea of what should happen.
Another contentious topic commonly centers around the children. Typically, both parents want to see the children as much as possible; however, the court’s job is to make sure whatever custody and child support plan the spouses land on aligns with the best interests of the children and other requirements, such as those in Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-56. Southbury attorneys can help guide a spouse through the contested divorce proceedings and make sure they are aware of and protect their rights.
The process becomes contested when one partner objects to some or all of what the other spouse puts in the complaint—i.e., the document that kicks off the dissolution of the marriage. When this happens, the spouses may have to participate in more court appearances—like hearings and a trial—to sort out some the areas of contention.
For example, if the partners disagree about the reason for asking for divorce—say, adultery—they may have to submit evidence or legal arguments supporting their side of things. Along those same lines, if they have differing viewpoints on how to distribute their assets under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-81, participating in a hearing about this legal issue may be necessary. A divorce lawyer in Southbury can help one of the spouses prepare for these contested proceedings and craft appropriate agreements to resolve these differences while protecting the spouse’s rights.
Dissolving your union can be incredibly taxing, adding a host of emotions and stressors to what is already a draining experience. Working with a trained team of attorneys cannot completely erase the hurt and frustration you may feel about getting a divorce, but it can help you to confidently move through this stage.
Get in touch with a Southbury contested divorce lawyer by calling us to schedule a confidential consultation. We provide compassionate and responsive legal services to those who are in the process of ending their partnership. We understand what you are going through, and we are here to help you through it.