Wisconsin is a no-fault state. If you live in Kenosha and wish to file for divorce, just stating that the marriage is broken and there is no room for reconciliation is a reason enough to end the marriage. It’s common for spouses to disagree on most things that concern the marriage, such as alimony, child custody, and parenting plan. Regardless of the circumstances, you could benefit from hiring one of the top Kenosha divorce attorneys for your case. Here’s an overview of how a contested divorce usually pans out.
Dealing with a contested divorce
As the name suggested, a contested divorce is “contested”, which means you and your spouse have major disagreements. The best way is to go for mediation and see if you can resolve a few concerns instead of merely letting the court take over. A contested divorce will influence every aspect of the case, including –
- Marital settlement agreement: If you and your spouse do not agree to anything, or either of you refuses to participate, you will have to file the form stating how you would want things to pan out.
- Proposed parenting plan: If you and the other parent are not in agreement on custody matters – including physical and legal custody of the minor child, you will have to come up with a proposed parenting plan as you would wish.
Going for a pre-trial conference
If there are serious points of contention at the pre-trial conference, the court may ask you to go for mediation and assign both spouses to the Family Court Counseling Services. In some cases, the court may assign someone as a guardian to work & represent your child’s best interests.
Going to trial
The final trial is when you get to present your case. If you want to present evidence, this is the time, and you should also bring documents related to your earnings, debts, and assets. The judge eventually gets to decide on the unresolved issues. There are deadlines to be adhered to, or you may have to initiate the divorce proceedings again.
Get an attorney
If you are in for a contested divorce, the journey wouldn’t be a smooth one, and it only makes sense that you hire a reliable lawyer to simplify the legal work. Experienced attorneys know what it takes to resolve matters in a contested divorce, and their expertise can help sort issues without the court getting involved in key decisions.
