Divorce is never easy, but it does not have to be a vicious fight fought in the open and in the court room. An experienced divorce attorney can prevent or at least curtail these battles by explaining the law and letting the represented party know that they will get nothing more than the law allows, or the judge is moved to grant.
The spouses often start the divorce with pent-up feelings of hostility which they have been harboring for years. They believe that they will take the spouse to “the cleaners.” What they do not realize is there are very few opportunities to do this in a divorce, but the fight will continue.
The Divorce Lawyer in Tacoma, WA can contribute the experience he has acquired over the years to settle a spouse down into a reasonable mindset. This can make the divorce proceedings flow better and more logically. The other spouse will not be challenged to cause a severe disturbance if they believe there is no battle to fight.
Most states have laws covering child custody and child visitation rights, although the judge is given some latitude in certain cases to override these. However, he will need strong justification to do so. The same applies to child support payments which are established by law with the judge having some leeway. However, the judge will want a very well documented reason to justify a higher child support payment.
Debts are a more difficult issue and often these are split between the parties, or if they are solely in the name of one of the spouses, they may get stuck with it.
The house is community property, but there is often a contentious issue regarding who gets to live in the house and who makes the mortgage payment.
This is one of the issues that are better to decide between the spouses before the judge gets the case. There may be more than one such issue. The Divorce Lawyer in Tacoma, WA can advise you on these.
It is always better for the spouses to resolve all issues before the court date. Sometimes a mediator is involved to help resolve the thorny issues. Regardless, fighting will not get either spouse anywhere. Resolving the issues with the help of the attorneys is the best path.