In the state of New Jersey, divorces fall into two different categories: those where there are grounds for divorce and those that are considered no-fault divorces. The grounds for an at-fault divorce are things like desertion, adultery, drug or alcohol abuse or institutionalization. By contrast, no-fault divorces are those where couples state that there is no chance of them reconciling or that they have lived apart for a minimum of 18 continuous months.

In theory, no-fault, or “uncontested” divorces should be easy and inexpensive – after all, if you both agree that there is no patching up the marriage, you should both be able to sign the legal documents and just walk away. In practice the situation is often much more complicated than that. Couples need to resolve a number of challenging issues, including the division of marital assets, whether or not alimony or spousal support will be paid, how custody of the marriage’s children will be divided, and more. Though almost all divorces in New Jersey fall into the category of uncontested, this is more a matter of them having settled out of court than of there being no issues that need to be argued. The many issues that need to be resolved and negotiated prior to the papers actually being signed are where divorce gets costly. There are ways to keep the costs down. The attorneys at Reinherz Law understand how challenging divorce can be, and can show you how an uncontested divorce can save you both time and money.

Attorneys generally bill by the hour. The more issues that a divorcing couple need to resolve (and the more animosity exists between the spouses), the longer it tends to take to reach an agreement. This is what can make a divorce expensive. The most costly divorce proceedings are those in which couples are unable to agree on the issues and court proceedings are required. When this happens, both sides end up needing an attorney to argue on their behalf. The process can take multiple court hearings to address all of the issues. Following that, the second most expensive divorces remain out of court but require a lot of back and forth between both sides’ attorneys to reach agreement. A far better solution is to reach an agreement between the two of you and then simply to have your attorneys draw up the legal documents.

Divorce involves many issues, and it can be difficult to find an acceptable middle ground on your own. If you are interested pursuing an uncontested divorce and keeping the costs low, your best bet is to put aside your emotions and try to come to terms. Failing that, you can ask your attorneys to negotiate, or to involve a mediator in the discussion. The faster you come to an agreement on property, child support, alimony, and all of the other issues, the faster you can move ahead with your life while keeping the costs of the proceedings down. The attorneys at Reinherz Law can help you through the process. Call us today to learn more.