Even amicable divorces may involve the need to determine fair custody arrangements and the division of debts and assets.
Having an attorney by your side can help to ensure that your interests are protected throughout the entire process.
While it may be tempting to handle the divorce on your own, doing so is often wrought with unexpected—and unpleasant—surprises, which can add significant time and cost to the process.
If you and your spouse are divorcing, the decision to consult with a knowledgeable, compassionate divorce lawyer can make a world of difference, dramatically reducing your anxiety and stress and saving you significant amounts of money.
An experienced divorce lawyer will help you navigate the process as quickly, efficiently, and inexpensively as possible so that you can get on with your life.
Divorce can take a toll on your overall well-being, but it doesn’t have to. Reduce emotional stress and save money by consulting with a Woodbridge divorce lawyer today.
At the Law Office of Steven M. Cytryn, LLC, our legal team will analyze the details of your case to determine the most appropriate legal strategy for your unique needs. No two divorces are alike, and we are not in the business of one-size-fits-all divorces.
Contact us today at (732) 214-1103 for a free and confidential consultation about your case.
A Woodbridge Divorce Lawyer Can Help You
Very few people would say they enjoyed the process of divorce, but those who work with knowledgeable, compassionate legal counsel typically have a much smoother experience than those who do not. Difficult ends can produce fresh starts. A Woodbridge divorce lawyer can help you:
- Maintain and protect your parental rights. Determining child custody is frequently a major concern of divorcing couples with children. Ensure that you can maintain a healthy relationship with your children by reaching a fair custody agreement. Custody refers to both legal and physical custody; one parent may have full legal custody (the ability to make important decisions on behalf of the child) even if physical custody is shared.
- Calculate fair child support payments. Whether you are going to be making or receiving child support payments, it’s important to ensure that the arrangement is fair for you, and for your children. Let a Woodbridge divorce lawyer help you protect your rights and determine the best payment arrangement for your unique needs.
- Split assets and debts equitably. If you have significant assets and/or debts, the question of what belongs to whom can be the cause of major anxiety during a divorce. These issues often present the most room for conflict. Having an experienced Woodbridge divorce lawyer by your side can dramatically reduce conflict and overall stress, and help to ensure that assets and debts are divided fairly.
Types of Divorce Cases We Handle
Divorces are either contested or uncontested. If the spouses are unable to reach an agreement on major issues, such as parental rights and property division, the divorce will be contested. If the spouses are in agreement on these issues, the divorce will be uncontested. It is not uncommon for divorces to start one way and end another, as issues are either resolved or arise.
How a Woodbridge Contested Divorce Works
If one or both spouses dispute certain issues of their divorce, it will proceed as contested. Divorce proceedings in a contested divorce usually take longer and cost significantly more than their uncontested counterparts. The typical steps involved in a contested divorce include:
- Filing the divorce petition with the court
- Serving the divorce petition on your spouse
- Responding to/waiting for the response to the petition
- Discovery—the process through which each spouse obtains information from the other
- Pre-trial hearings
- Pre-trial settlement negotiations
- Trial, if settlement cannot be reached
- Appeal, if either party disputes the judge’s decision
It is not uncommon for spouses to fail to reach a settlement agreement in a contested divorce. If a settlement is not reached, the divorce will progress to court. At trial, both spouses have the opportunity to present witnesses, cross-examine each other’s witnesses, and make closing arguments. Once both sides have been heard, the judge will make a decision.
Uncontested Divorce
Not surprisingly, uncontested divorces are much less expensive, stressful, and time consuming than contested divorces. Both spouses are in agreement about all major issues, and the process can be relatively quick and painless. That being said, it is not uncommon for uncontested divorces to become contested at some point during the process.
Unexpected issues may arise, causing the spouses to develop opposing views on some aspect of the divorce. Having an experienced Woodbridge divorce lawyer by your side can help you to anticipate these unforeseen issues so that they can be dealt with proactively, rather than reactively.
Woodbridge Divorce Proceedings
Divorces are as unique as the marriages that precede them, but the most common issues involved in divorce proceedings include:
Asset and Debt Division
The question of who is responsible for certain debts (you, your spouse, or both of you) and who is entitled to certain assets (you, your spouse, or both of you) is the primary concern for many divorcing couples. An experienced attorney will be able to help you determine what belongs to whom and how to fairly divide any property, assets, and debts.
Child Custody
Protect your parental rights regarding physical and legal custody. Where physical custody refers to the time spent with your children, legal custody refers to the ability of each parent to make important decisions on behalf of the child(ren).
Child Support
Ensure that the child support payments you make, or the payments you will be receiving are fair for you and your children. Support payments are calculated based on multiple factors, including both spouse’s income, the custody arrangement, and the age and number of children, among others.
Our Divorce Attorney Proudly Serves Woodbridge, NJ
Divorce is a highly-emotional process, but it doesn’t have to take over your entire life. With the right attorney by your side, you can rest assured knowing that your best interests are being protected at all times. Your lawyer should work hard to minimize conflict, expedite resolutions, and save you money.
Contact the Law Office of Steven M. Cytryn, LLC today at (732) 214-1103 for a free and confidential consultation about your case.