The Ohio Dissolution of Marriage Attorneys at our Columbus Family Law Firm understand that whenever possible, dissolution of marriage is almost always a better option to end your marriage than divorce.   Even couples who have a very difficult time communicating can often reach an agreement regarding the terms of ending the marriage with a little help.  A dissolution of marriage attorney can help you negotiate with your spouse and his or her attorney to try to reach a middle ground.

Once parties reach an agreement, either among themselves, through a mediator, or with the help of their attorney(s), the paperwork for a dissolution is drafted, signed and filed, and your dissolution hearing can be scheduled in as little as 30 days after the date your petition is filed.  At our office, whenever possible, we prefer to use a private judge for the dissolution hearing and have the hearing in our office, or perhaps at the office of your spouse’s attorney.  This way, you never have to go to court and your hearing lasts only 5-10 minutes.

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The benefits of dissolution over divorce are numerous.  Our dissolution of marriage attorneys understand that the less you spend ending the marriage, the more you will have to start your new life.  At the same time, we also know that this is your life, and you need advice you can count on and attention to detail to make sure that you get what you bargained for.

At our first meeting we will talk about your situation, the other party’s position and whether you anticipate difficulty reaching an agreement regarding division of all assets and liabilities, custody and support issues, retirement, etc.  We’ll discuss all the issues that would need to be decided in order for you to proceed with a dissolution.  If you have questions about the process, we’ll answer your questions.  Then we will let you see if you can talk with your spouse and reach agreement on the issues.  If so, we can prepare the paperwork at a rate that will depend on the amount of work needed by the decision you reach.  For example, dividing retirement accounts is a little extra work, so if you and your spouse decide to do that, you would pay for that work as well.

If you need any of your assets or retirement valued, we can point you in the right direction.  If your spouse prefers not to hire an attorney, we can draft the paperwork, but we can only represent one party in the dissolution.  We would not be able to explain the paperwork or the law to your spouse.  For that reason, your spouse may want to at least take the paperwork to another attorney to have it reviewed.  This is normal.  It is also normal for people to change their mind on a few issues over the course of negotiations.  After all, a lot of big issues are being decided.  This may seem frustrating, but again, it’s normal and just part of the process.

If you would like to meet with one of our Columbus Ohio Dissolution Attorneys, call our office at:

CALL NOW (614) 225-9316

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