Check with the clerk of the court to confirm what's required, but in most courts you'll need to file a: Petition (Consent Judgment) Domestic violence screening form. Confidential Case Inventory (if you have any other pending or resolved family division cases), and a. Proposed Consent Judgment/Order.
Read the complaint and decide what to do. Read the complaint. You may agree with some, all, or none of the complaint. Write down next to each paragraph in the complaint whether you agree or disagree with what that paragraph says. If you agree with everything your spouse is asking for, you may not need to file anything.
Contested Divorces in Michigan In contested divorces, both the plaintiff and defendant must retain legal counsel and present their case in front of a judge. In these cases, having an experienced divorce lawyer on your side can make a huge difference in the outcome of your case.
Here are a few ways you can approach the conversation: Acknowledge Their Feelings: You might say, ``I'm sorry to hear that. Divorce can be really tough.'' Offer Support: Let them know you're there for them. You could say, ``If you ever want to talk about it or share how you're feeling, I'm here to listen.''
File a motion for default judgment. If you are unable to reach an agreement with your spouse, you can file a motion for default judgment with the court. This will ask the court to enter a default judgment against your spouse without hearing from them. Hire a local attorney.
While the answer is simply admitting or denying information from the complaint, the counterclaim can be used to put forth alternative versions of the facts or a completely different reason for the divorce. The counterclaim functions just like a complaint, you do not need to prove anything in the counterclaim.
Ing to a 2019 survey conducted by Martindale-Nolo Research, contested divorces take at least 18 months to finalize in California.
You do not have to have a lawyer in a divorce case, but representing yourself in a divorce is not always easy. Consider talking with a lawyer about your rights and options even if you decide not to hire one. The more complicated the issues in your divorce are, the more important it may be to have a lawyer.
An uncontested divorce can be wrapped up as quickly as six weeks to three months.
Typically the Judge will dismiss the case if neither party shows up. However, the Judge may have also continued the case, so your case may still be active. Most likely your case is still active because the initial court appearance is a 30 day status conference.