Contested Divorce Lawyer in New York
Trusted Divorce Attorney in Syracuse for Your Case
In many cases, spouses will have very different ideas about what the outcome of their divorce should be. Whether their disagreements concern alimony, child custody, asset division, or any other of the many factors that must be resolved in the dissolution of a marriage, these disagreements will likely result in a contested divorce. These are divorces in which litigation is needed and a judge will ultimately decide on the contested factors between the two parties.
Contested divorces require competent, practiced, and emphatic representation. At Haddad Law Office, P.C. that is exactly the kind of counsel I am prepared to provide my clients facing divorce litigation. I understand what the stakes are for the individuals and families facing these trials and always ensure that their needs and concerns are aggressively put forth in a court of law.
Achieve Your Divorce Goals: Contact My Firm for Compassionate Legal Support in Syracuse Today.
Stages of a Contested Divorce in New York
The contested divorce process is a multi-stage procedure that many can find trying, tedious, and even emotionally painful. With the right counsel by your side, however, seeing through this process will be instrumental to meeting your immediate and long-term divorce goals.
The basic stages of a contested divorce in New York are:
- Preliminary and Status Conferences: these are the first court appearances the couple must attend in the divorce process. It will give the judge an initial overview of the couple's circumstances and the opportunity to consider any motions filed by either party. Motions to be filed can vary based on a client or family's needs, but, most commonly, a "pendente lite motion" is addressed, which can address temporary child custody, maintenance and other factors needed to maintain the status quo for a family during the divorce proceedings.
- Discovery Phase: This is the period in which either spouse, along with their counsel, collects information on the opposing spouse’s assets, net worth, liabilities, and any other behaviors relative to contested terms of the divorce. This can be the most time-consuming phase of a contested divorce and, if there are complications, could involve subpoenas, depositions, and other intensive legal actions.
- Trial Process: In the trial phase, each spouse will make a case in support of their claims of what the divorce settlement should be. They will use evidence collected in the discovery period, along with possible other resources, like witness testimony, to make their case. The judge will hear these presentations on each issue and hand down a divorce settlement the spouse must adhere to.
Contested divorce can be an intense process and takes real resilience, stamina, and resourcefulness to successfully navigate. For more than 15 years, I have been just been guiding clients through this process, all the while serving as their advocate, protecting their rights, and ensuring that their divorce goals are given every consideration by the judge.
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