Divorce Law

Sometimes, after a divorce has been finalized and a court has issued its final judgment or decree declaring the marriage severed, one of the spouses finds that they need spousal support.

For those who have only been married for a short time, the question of whether an annulment is available versus a divorce is a common question.

Filing for divorce does not have to be a hostile event. If you and your spouse have simply drifted apart and decided it is time to move on, there is no reason that a divorce needs to be a contentious battle full of expensive legal fees. In fact, it is possible to get a divorce on your own without an attorney.

Ending a marriage is never a simple process. However, it can be simpler in some situations when the spouses are able to remain civil and agree between themselves how to divide the marital assets, deal with custody and support issues, and handle any other matters.

If you are going through a divorce, much of the terminology and general process of divorce can be confusing and intimidating. Understanding the fundamental concepts of the American divorce system can help you in navigating through the process of divorce or legal separation.

Divorces are commonly very messy affairs, with hurt feelings and concerns about the future leading former lovers to take very aggressive and hurtful actions against one another. But, when another person is involved, the matter can become even more heated, and in some jurisdictions the adulterer may actually face civil liability under a cause of action called alienation of affection.

Often we use terms like separation and divorce almost interchangeably, but in many jurisdictions these terms can have very different legal significance. Indeed, there are even differences between separation and legal separation.

The decision to end a marriage can be a very complicated one. Emotionally it may be painful, a relief, or a complicated mixture of both sensations. Practically, many things need to take place before the process can be finished and you can begin to move on with your life.

Articles written by attorneys and experts worldwide discussing legal aspects related to Family Law including: adoption, alimony, child support and custody, child visitation, collaborative law, divorce, domestic violence, elder law, juvenile crime, juvenile law, juvenile probation, paternity, pre-nuptial agreement, separation.

The Family Law Quarterly publishes these charts in conjunction with the annual "Family Law in the Fifty States Case Digests." The charts summarize basic laws in each state by topic, including custody, alimony and grounds for divorce.

The Section of Family Law has over 10,000 lawyer, associate and law student members across the country and worldwide. Our members are dedicated to serving the field of family law in areas such as adoption, divorce, custody, military law, alternative families, and elder law.

A divorce formally dissolves a legal marriage. While married couples do not possess a constitutional or legal right to divorce, states permit divorces because to do so best serves public policy. To ensure that a particular divorce serves public policy interests, some states require a "cooling-off period," which prescribes a time period after legal separation that spouses must bear before they can initiate divorce proceedings.

Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the termination of a marriage, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between two persons. In most countries, divorce requires the sanction of a judge or other authority in a legal process to complete a divorce. A divorce does not declare a marriage null and void, as in an annulment, but divorce cancels the marital status of the parties, allowing them to marry another.

Many U.S. citizens choose to marry, or obtain a divorce while traveling or living abroad. There are things you’ll need to know if you do choose to marry or divorce while out of the U.S. We hope the information below will be helpful to you.

Most states require at least one spouse, usually the one filing the divorce petition, to be a resident of the state for a period of time prior to filing for divorce there. Some states require domicile, which means you met a set of standards less demanding than residency requirements to show that you plan to live in the state. Other states require that you be a resident of the state for a specific time period before filing for divorce.

A divorce obtained in another jurisdiction shall be of no force or effect in this state if both parties to the marriage were domiciled in this state at the time the proceeding for the divorce was commenced.

The Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA) is one of the uniform acts drafted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. First developed in 1992, the NCCUSL revised the act in 1996 and again in 2001. The act addresses non-payment of child support obligations and limits the jurisdiction that could properly establish and modify child support orders. It has been adopted by every U.S. state. In 1996, Congress passed and President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act (42 U.S.C. § 666), which required that states adopt UIFSA by January 1, 1998 or face loss of federal funding for child support enforcement.

Divorce in Canada is governed by the Divorce Act. Most divorces in Canada are based on one year separation. Note that 'living separate and apart' does not necessarily mean living in separate homes - you can be separated but share the same home for various reasons (children, money, etc.). For example, let's say that your spouse moved out of the house three months ago. However, your marriage actually broke down and was essentially over nine months ago. Your actual date of separation may be nine months ago, rather than three months ago.

People spend more time overseas than ever before. They might marry a foreign national in one country, parent children in another, and own a business in a third country. Our world is becoming a smaller place and this will have increasing impact on the analysis a matrimonial lawyer must bring to a new case.

Americans for Divorce Reform was founded in 1997. We have helped people get involved in the movement for divorce reform through our web site, e-mail lists, radio, print and television interviews. We want to: Tell the public, lawmakers and the media what's wrong with divorce. Help people get involved in state-level efforts to pass divorce reform laws. Give people the information, statistics, analysis and drafting help that they need in order to advocate divorce reform in their states.

Collaborative professional organizations are groups of multi-disciplinary professionals committed to resolving divorce cooperatively. The organizations you will find in this directory are not private practices, but rather networks of professionals who have joined together with a mutual commitment to the ideals of the collaborative method of divorce.

The IAML is a worldwide association of practising lawyers who are recognised by their peers as the most experienced and expert family law specialists in their respective countries. The Academy was formed in 1986, inspired in part by the success of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, an organisation founded in 1962 to improve the practice of law and administration of justice in the area of divorce and family law in the USA.

The Journal of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers is an on-line law review and digest that endeavors to publish timely articles on family law and related topics, that have not previously been published elsewhere. The Journal is the brainchild of Charles C. Shainberg of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a Past President of the Academy, and has been in development for over three years.

Matrimonial CaseLaw provides up-to-date, cross-referenced case notes, citations, analysis, and citable concepts of New York State divorce law.