People who have gone through a divorce often share that it is one of the most painful things to go through in life.
Reasons for this might be the emotional, physical and financial investments that are put into marriages hoping it will last until their last day on earth. Finding yourself in this situation might require you to know what options are available to you should divorce be your only option.
Below we share three types of divorces available and what they mean as per Simon Dippenaar and Associates Attorneys.
Uncontested divorce
The above mentioned attorneys shared that an uncontested divorce is the easiest, quickest and least expensive divorce out of all. This divorce sees the couple working together for terms that suit both of them. These terms include how they will divide their assets, the caring of their children, how the child maintenance is going to work, and many other things that they share.
Mediated divorce
Mediated divorces, according to the lawyers, is more pricey and may take a long time before it reaches its conclusion. Lawyers are usually appointed to negotiate for each spouse with the hope of getting a fair outcome. The above-mentioned lawyers also add, “Once the mediator successfully helps the spouses to reach agreement, their attorney or attorneys can draft the official settlement agreement, which is signed by both spouses and then made an order of the court. Mediation can dramatically reduce the cost of contested divorce proceedings. Mediated divorces are often finalised in three months.”
Contested divorce
Contested divorces often have a negative impact on the family as they can go on for months, even years before a settlement is reached.
Simon Dippenaar and Associates Attorneys shares, “Contested divorces occur when spouses cannot agree with the terms and conditions of their divorce. The most common disagreements relate to maintenance, division of assets, and child care. In some cases, one or both spouses refuse to settle for emotional reasons.”
Both spouses have to attend court in this type of a divorce with the court being responsible for the final settlement. Both spouses can end up having to cough up large amounts of money as dragging also means paying more lawyer fees.
Also see: Why divorce mediation is an essential component of legal coverage