For the majority of married couples, the most expensive item that they own is their house. During a divorce, the house becomes a marital asset whose value must be equitably divided between both parties. In order to divide the marital property fairly, the house must be accurately valued by an experienced appraiser. Depending on the…
While no one enjoys paying taxes, having children means that most parents will receive a sizeable income tax return every April. While married parents have the opportunity to claim these tax benefits together, parents who are divorced will have to decide which parent will claim the exemptions and credits offered by the federal government each…
One of the most contentious issues during a divorce is the division of personal property. Each person feels connected to what is theirs and understandably wants to be able to have access to their own items during a divorce. Retrieving personal property can be difficult when two people simply cannot get along, especially if one…
For many couples, divorce is a long time in the making. Whether the divorce results from years of growing hostility or resentment or comes shortly after a major blowup, most people know that a divorce is imminent for weeks or even months in advance. If you are thinking of divorcing your spouse or believe that…
For many married couples, a joint bank account makes it easier to manage the family’s finances. While these types of accounts are useful during the marriage, they can often be a huge source of conflict during a divorce case. Understanding Joint Accounts Whenever two people are joint owners in a bank account, each has an…
At some point in time during a divorce case, the divorcing couple will usually be asked to attend a mediation to work out any unresolved issues. This process helps each person come to a joint agreement about issues like child custody, child support, or spousal support, which will save time in court later on. For…
During a divorce case, it is common for attorneys and judges to talk about the importance of “maintaining the status quo,” especially if there are children involved. When a divorce case also concerns child custody, judges are tasked with looking out for the best interests of the children. Usually, judges believe that divorce is hard…
When a divorce is contested—meaning that the spouses can’t agree or haven’t yet agreed on all issues—the first hearing in the case will usually be regarding a motion for temporary relief. While not every divorce case will have this type of hearing, they are not uncommon and are many people’s first experience with their family…
After a divorce is settled, both former spouses will have an obligation to transfer marital property to each other according to the terms of the divorce decree. What many people fail to understand is that the divorce decree doesn’t actually transfer legal ownership of property from one person to another—while both parties are legally obligated…