Is it possible to manage a divorce in Shepherdsville or Bullitt County, Kentucky? Why is it important to understand each step required to complete the process of your divorce? In order for any divorce in Kentucky to be completed, every aspect of the divorce decree must be entirely resolved. This includes the division of assets and liabilities, including retirement accounts and pensions, as well as issues of child custody and parenting time, child support, and spousal support (maintenance).
Most people at the beginning of the divorce process have one or more of these areas of disagreement. You may feel that you and your spouse are pretty much in complete agreement regarding all of these issues. However, once the actual process of a divorce begins, many of these “agreements” get left by the wayside. There are almost certainly going to be areas of disagreement.
Some disagreements are mild, some are emotional, and some are rooted in belief and principle. My name is John Schmidt, and based upon my 25+ years of experience in divorce cases in Shepherdsville, Mount Washington, Shelbyville, Taylorsville, Radcliff, Elizabethtown, Jeffersontown, or the greater Louisville area, I can tell you:
The length of time it takes to complete a divorce in Bullitt County and the cost of that divorce will be determined by the level of disagreement between you and your spouse, as well as your ability to work through those areas and ultimately resolve them. Working through and setting aside strong emotions when making important decisions and focusing on what is most important in the immediate matter at hand is one of the most essential strategies in any divorce.
What are your options to manage a divorce in Shepherdsville or Bullitt County? If you want to file for an uncontested divorce in the Commonwealth, you and your former spouse must agree on every single issue associated with your divorce. If you cannot agree, the case may become a contested divorce. In either event, all areas of disagreement must be resolved before final orders can be issued. There are many ways to resolve areas of dispute, including but not limited to:
- You and your spouse can work out a solution
- Your attorney(s) can help to develop a resolution to the issue
- Mediation: A neutral third-party expert works with the parties to clarify and resolve any issue(s)
- Your Judge (a total stranger) hears the matter and issues a decision
You have the highest levels of influence over the first two above. The farther the dispute goes, the less impact each person will have on the outcome. Each step in the above list also increases the cost and time of your divorce.
It is also important to know that putting the matter in the hands of the Judge in your case is not a “win” or “lose” proposition. The Judge works to develop a ruling that is sure to make both parties feel like they didn’t get everything they wanted or needed. Both parties often walk away from a Judge’s decision feeling like they have “lost.” It is also important to note people are more likely to abide by agreements they have personally been involved in reaching. They have “skin in the game,” more personal ownership in the agreement reached, and are more likely to follow through with this after the divorce is completed. Statistics from many national sources clearly show that couples in divorce are much more likely to engage in post-decree disputes and legal actions when orders are imposed upon them by the Judge than when they reach an agreement themselves or with the help of their attorneys or a mediator.
There are areas of genuine principle that are worth fighting for, and I have a strong track record in family law disputes and trials. However, if possible, I would like to help you avoid this, as well as the time and cost associated with a protracted dispute.
If you wish to manage a divorce in Shepherdsville or Bullitt County, Kentucky, while reducing the emotional burden, increasing the quality of decisions, and ultimately accomplishing the best possible outcome, remember:
- Emotional decisions are rarely good decisions
- It’s not going to be all or nothing, more a matter of give and take
- The cost of your divorce and the time it will take are directly related to the ability to resolve disagreement
- You and your spouse are more likely to abide by agreements you reach together than an order issued by a Judge.
This process to manage a divorce in Shepherdsville or Bullitt County, Kentucky, isn’t simply about ending a marriage. It’s also about setting up the next chapters of your life and the ability to move forward. We invite you to contact us via e-mail, schedule an appointment or call us today at (502) 509-1490 to get answers to your questions and to learn more about your unique circumstances and how to protect what is most important to you in your family law case.
