Collect financial documents and records (ex: report cards, healthcare records, attendance reports, etc.) for children which will provide the judge, a complete stranger to you, with an accurate picture of your finances and the needs of your children. Identify an attorney who makes you feel comfortable with his/her representation of you. It is important that an attorney and his/her client have a good working relationship based upon trust and an appreciation for the goals the client is seeking to achieve in the case. Regardless of whether you hire Chuck, you need an attorney who is knowledgeable about the law and feels like a good fit for your case.

If you and your spouse have reached an agreement as to all aspects of the divorce, including equitable division of assets and debts, alimony, child custody, child support, and attorney’s fees your divorce can be filed as an uncontested case. If you have not reached an agreement with your spouse, your case will be treated as contested until an agreement is reached.

It's difficult to predict how quickly a divorce will be resolved if the parties have not reached an agreement addressing all issues. Unfortunately, contested divorces can, in certain circumstances, take 1 year or longer to reach a final trial. On the other hand, uncontested cases can be resolved as quickly as within 30-45 days.