1. Initial filing:
Tyler Law Office will prepare your paperwork for you. Your petition, (if you are initiating the dissolution of marriage/legal separation) or your response to the petition (if your spouse initiated the dissolution of marriage/legal separation) will be completely prepared with all necessary forms. You will be contacted by one of our staff members when the forms are ready for your review and signature. We will have your documents filed with the court.
2. Immediate concerns and temporary orders:
Tyler Law Office will discuss the most immediate issues in your case that need to be resolved, e.g., child custody/visitation, spousal support orders, child support orders, disposition of the family residence or any other temporary orders that must be addressed at the very beginning of your case. Tyler Law Office may file a “motion” to obtain a court date in the event that you and your spouse are unable to reach an agreement on the issues in dispute.
3. Negotiations:
Tyler Law Office will attempt to resolve the issues raised in a motion with the opposing counsel (or the opposing party if he/she is unrepresented) prior to the scheduled court hearing date. Tyler Law Office will negotiate on your behalf until a reasonable offer is obtained. Tyler Law Office will always relay all settlement offers to you. You and you alone can accept or reject an offer.
4. Settlement Conference:
This is a meeting in which both parties and their
5. Hearing:
If you are unable to reach an agreement with your spouse, you and Tyler Law Office will attend a court hearing. The court can only make decisions regarding the issues that were raised in the motion. One of our staff members will contact you prior to the hearing in order to provide you with all of the necessary information for the day of court.
Three Things To Remember On The Day Of Court
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Understanding Hearings Versus Trials
Hearings are held whenever there are specific issues that need to be resolved. Hearings are limited in length. Therefore, the issues raised must be narrowed down and specific in nature. Hearings are the most common method for resolving family law disputes pending the final dissolution.
PDL hearings are scheduled when there are issues involving temporary child custody, child support, or maintenance. Tyler Law Office will discuss with you whether a PDL hearing will be necessary on a given issue in your case.
Trials generally occur only at the very end of your case to resolve all of the remaining issues upon which you and your spouse were unable to agree, such as the final division of your property and permanent support. It is important to note that, traditionally, less than 5 percent of all family law matters actually proceed to trial.
The Last Step: Marital Settlement Agreement Or Final Judgment
The finish line for your dissolution is a resolution on all of the issues in your case. An agreement on all issues regarding your children (if applicable), your financial support and the division of your property can be embodied in a Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA) or Stipulated Judgment that either Tyler Law Office or opposing counsel can prepare for your signatures. The MSA would be incorporated into a Final Judgment.
If you and your spouse are unable to reach an agreement on all of the issues, the court will decide the remaining issues at trial, and its decision will constitute your final judgment.
In either scenario, your dissolution of marriage will be final. Thereafter, you may only request the court to make changes to your permanent agreement if there are substantial changes regarding child custody/visitation or child support that is significant enough to warrant the court to review your new dispute. This is unlike the temporary orders that may be reviewed by the court at any time if circumstances warrant a change.
You may come to a final judgment as early in the case as you wish, provided you and your spouse
What If Your Case Must Go To Trial?
If you are unable to reach an agreement on ALL issues, your case will proceed to trial. Tyler Law Office will appear at a status conference on your behalf. Tyler Law Offices may then schedule a settlement conference and trial if it does not appear that settlement will be possible in your case without
◇ Status conference — Tyler Law Office will appear at court without you to advise the court on the status of settlement discussions and/or schedule the PDL hearing, Motion hearings, or trial dates.
◇ Settlement conference — You and Tyler Law Office may appear
◇ Trial — You and Tyler Law Office appear at court where the judge may once again encourage the parties to participate in settlement discussions. If you and your spouse are still unable to reach an agreement on all issues, the court will commence the trial. The trial can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Lay and/or expert witnesses may be called to testify. You and your spouse are both likely to testify and be subject to cross-examination. At the conclusion of the trial, the court will decide each issue and render a final judgment.
Reaching A Settlement
The goal of the family law system is to have the parties reach agreements, otherwise known as settlement. The legal system recognizes that this area of the law involves the most personal aspects of your life, including your family and your finances. A judge is an impartial third party who can make these decisions if it is impossible to reach an agreement, but no one knows the details about your life better than you.
Attorneys, mediators and possibly other counselors are going to assist you in reaching agreements. Our hope at Tyler Law Office is that we can provide legal advice combined with compassion and care for your family that will guide you to the best possible outcome in the face of difficult decisions. The best people to make the decisions about when your child will be with each parent, how the parties will be able to afford two households, and/or the manner in which the property that was acquired during your marriage will be divided… are you and your spouse.
The law imposes a duty on the parties and their attorneys to engage in settlement discussions prior to utilizing the court’s assistance in deciding a dispute. Settlement discussions commence at the beginning of a case and continue until all issues have been resolved, either by reaching an agreement or by the decision of the court.
Settlement negotiations occur in the following ways:
◇ Tyler Law Office will negotiate your case over the telephone and in writing with your spouse’s attorney in an attempt to reach an agreement without judicial assistance.
◇ If a PDL Hearing is necessary, Tyler Law Office will negotiate your case the day of the scheduled court hearing in the hallway outside of the courtroom. These discussions can be very involved and they often take a considerable amount of time. If you and the other party are unable to come to an agreement, the scheduled hearing will take place. Both parties will be sworn in. Tyler Law Office will argue on your behalf, and the judge will make a decision on your issue(s), which will become the court order.
◇ You and Tyler Law Office may negotiate a particular issue, or all the issues, in your case by scheduling a settlement conference, whereby both parties and both attorneys meet at one of the law offices, in an informal setting, and attempt to settle the matter(s) in dispute. You and the other party are encouraged to participate in these discussions with the attorneys.
◇ You and the other party may choose to settle your matter through mediation. Mediation is a process by which the parties use an agreed-upon neutral person, other than the judge, to attempt to resolve a dispute. The purpose of mediation is not to save the marriage, although that can sometimes happen during meditation,
◇ It is important that you consult Tyler Law Office with any agreements reached through mediation because your mediator cannot advocate for either party, and Tyler Law Office can help you decide if you have reached a fair settlement.
To learn more, call Tyler Law Office at (573) 358-4245 or contact us online to arrange a consultation.