Monthly Divorce Planning Seminars

This is a quick overview of the legal steps required for a legal separation.  Our legal overview presentation serves as a roadmap. It outlines the typical lifecycle of a divorce, from initial filing to the final judgment. By understanding the standard stages—Filing, Service, Discovery, Negotiation, and Final Judgment—you gain predictability. When you know what comes next, you can prepare, budget, and feel significantly more in control.

Understanding Your Timeline and Jurisdiction
One of the most common questions in divorce is, “How long will this take?” The answer depends heavily on your jurisdiction and the specific requirements of the court.

The legal overview will address crucial logistical elements.

Mediation is a voluntary, confidential process where a neutral third-party—the mediator—facilitates communication and negotiation between spouses to help them reach a mutually acceptable settlement agreement.

The core reason mediation must be the first choice is the preservation of control. When you mediate, you and your spouse remain the decision-makers.

Understanding the household finances extends far beyond simply knowing the current bank balances. A full analysis must encompass the entirety of the marital estate, including often-overlooked items that represent significant future value.

This requires dissecting employment compensation (salaries, bonuses, stock options), evaluating all liabilities (mortgages, lines of credit, and hidden personal debts), and critically, assigning proper value to non-cash assets. Retirement accounts, pensions, deferred compensation plans, and whole life insurance policies are frequently among the most substantial assets and require expert valuation, often involving QDROs (Qualified Domestic Relations Orders) for division.