| Divorce lawyers and law firms can provide a | | | | An agreement in which a divorced couple share |
| great deal of divorce information and divorce | | | | the rights and responsibilities of making |
| advice; but sometimes, all that legal jargon | | | | major decisions about their child's life. |
| can be confusing to say the least, not to | | | | |
| mention intimidating. Getting a good, low | | | | Joint Physical Custody |
| cost divorce settlement requires planning and | | | | |
| research. | | | | The shared right to have a child live with |
| | | | one or the other parent at different times of |
| So, why not start here? We have provided you | | | | the week or year. |
| with a good glossary of legal terms related | | | | |
| to the process of getting a divorce: | | | | Judgement of Divorce |
| | | | |
| Alimony | | | | A legal document following a settlement or |
| | | | trial that grants a divorce and states the |
| A regular support payment by one divorced | | | | court's decisions with regard to alimony, |
| spouse to the other | | | | support, custody, visitation rights, and |
| | | | equitable distribution. |
| Annulment | | | | |
| | | | Maintenance |
| A court declaration stating that a legal | | | | |
| marriage never existed | | | | Alimony or child support payments |
| | | | |
| Arbitration | | | | Marital Settlement Agreement |
| | | | |
| Having a disputed matter settled by a third | | | | An out-of-court agreement that resolves all |
| party who is not a judge. | | | | issues surrounding a divorce. |
| | | | |
| Attachment | | | | Mediation |
| | | | |
| A court-ordered seizure of a debtor's | | | | A process by which a dispute is resolved and |
| property. | | | | an agreement between two parties is reached |
| | | | with the assistance of a disinterested third |
| Attorney at Law | | | | party known as a mediator. |
| | | | |
| A state-licensed advocate who is hired to | | | | Non-Marital Property |
| prepare, manage and try a case in court. | | | | |
| | | | Property that belongs exclusively to either |
| Alternative Dispute Resolution | | | | the husband or the wife and, as such, cannot |
| | | | be divided between the two. |
| A process of negotiation, mediation and | | | | |
| arbitration, in lieu of a trial, as a way to | | | | No-Fault Divorce |
| resolve issues pertaining to a judgment of | | | | |
| divorce. | | | | A divorce granted with the mutual agreement |
| | | | of two spouses, or when one spouse has left |
| Case Information Statement (CIS) | | | | the marriage for a certain period of time |
| | | | (varies by state). |
| A financial document specifying the details | | | | |
| of your respective incomes, expenses, assets, | | | | Rehabilitative Alimony |
| and debts. | | | | |
| | | | Alimony that helps the ex-spouse to become |
| Child Support | | | | self-reliant. |
| | | | |
| Money paid by one ex-spouse to another toward | | | | Separation |
| their child's expenses. | | | | |
| | | | The absence of one spouse from the household |
| Common Law Marriage | | | | before a divorce. |
| | | | |
| A marriage without a license or ceremony in | | | | Separation Agreement |
| which the couple cohabitated for a minimum | | | | |
| number of years (varies from state to state). | | | | A temporary agreement with regard to support, |
| | | | child custody and property for the period |
| Default | | | | between the onset of separation and the |
| | | | granting of a divorce. |
| Failure to do something (such as make a | | | | |
| payment) on time. | | | | Spouse |
| | | | |
| Discovery | | | | A husband or wife |
| | | | |
| The legal procedures used to gather all the | | | | Support |
| facts necessary to settle a case or to | | | | |
| prepare the case for trial. | | | | Payment due to one spouse from the other |
| | | | regarding housing, food, clothing, and other |
| Dissolution of Marriage (Divorce) | | | | expenses. |
| | | | |
| The legal separation of a married couple so | | | | Transfer |
| that each one may be free to marry again. | | | | |
| | | | To switch legal ownership from one person to |
| Equitable Distribution | | | | another. |
| | | | |
| A fair division of the assets acquired during | | | | Verification Statement |
| your marriage. | | | | |
| | | | An oath declaring that the information stated |
| Inventory and Appraisement | | | | in a document is true. |
| | | | |
| A list of jointly-owned property along with | | | | Visitation |
| the current value of each one. | | | | |
| | | | The right for a non-custodial parent to visit |
| Joint Legal Custody | | | | his or her child. |
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