Coping With Curveball Divorce

Whether it is a gray divorce, a high net worth divorce, or a cutesy conscious uncoupling that seems staged for social media, divorce is profoundly unpleasant. People who are at their wits’ end with their marriages and long to be legally single wish that they could fast forward through the part where you have to tell the court about all your income, expenses, and debts and where you have to negotiate with your spouse during mediation about which of you gets to keep the family pet. If you are lucky, you can get an uncontested divorce, where both spouses agree on who keeps which marital property before they even file the divorce petition in court. Unfortunately, uncontested divorce is only possible if you and your spouse are on speaking terms and your financial situation is uncomplicated. You might think that you can speed up the process by surprising your spouse with divorce papers. Whether this option, which journalists have started calling “curveball divorce,” is better than the alternative depends on your situation, but it is not always a recipe for a quick and painless divorce. If you are planning to file for divorce, and you want to avoid unnecessary delays and drama, contact a Birmingham divorce lawyer.

Don’t Expect a Painless Divorce If You Surprise Your Spouse With Divorce Papers

People who surprise their spouses with divorce papers do so because they have had such a communication breakdown in the marriage that they reasonably believe that simply asking their spouse for a divorce during a one-on-one conversation would lead to a disaster, like their spouse draining marital bank accounts, or worse, turning violent. When you surprise your spouse with divorce papers, it means that you have already written a divorce petition, requesting the marital property you want to keep; this means that you have already gotten used to the idea of a future with one income and with your share of the marital debts. Your spouse has not gotten to do this. Your spouse’s cycle of emotions about the divorce will play out in divorce mediation, not before.

Navigating the Divorce Process When You Were Sure You Would Stay Married

If your spouse surprised you with divorce papers, you must act quickly. No, it is not fair, but there isn’t time to think about that now. If you do not respond to the divorce petition quickly, the court will issue a default judgment, and your spouse will get everything she asked for in the petition. Your lack of participation in the divorce process will not stop the divorce from going through. Even if your head is still spinning from the surprise, because you thought that both spouses were still committed to resolving your differences, it is imperative that you contact a lawyer to help you think through the legal aspects of your divorce.

Contact Peeples Law About Deciding When and How to File for Divorce

A Birmingham family law attorney can help you draft a divorce petition.  Contact Peeples Law in Birmingham, Alabama today to schedule a consultation.

Source:

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