An uncontested divorce is a divorce when both partners agree on all aspects of the separation, including property division, child custody, and support arrangements. The time taken for the judgment of an uncontested divorce may vary depending on several factors the court usually considers.
Understanding the exact steps and timing can help people go through this process more effectively; learn more about the time taken in an uncontested divorce in Alabama in this blog.
File For Divorce
The first step to start this process is to file for a divorce in pretty much every state of the USA, and filing for divorce in Alabama starts with submitting a petition to the state court wherein both spouses reside. The petition outlines the grounds for divorce, which in Alabama can include irretrievable breakdown of the marriage or one of the events being mentally incapacitated.
Along with the petition, different important files, which include the marital agreement settlement and parenting plan, are filed. The submitting fee usually ranges from $2 hundred to $3 hundred, depending on the state.
Waiting Period
After the petition is filed, the state of Alabama imposes a waiting period for the divorce to be finalized. This waiting period is usually 30 days after the serving divorce petition on the other spouse. In the meantime, the court schedules certain preliminary hearings after reviewing the documents to make sure that both partners understand the terms of the divorce and are voluntarily entering into it.
If there are no disputes or issues that need to be fixed, this issue can progress quickly. The waiting period is also a chance for the parties to reconsider their decision before going ahead with it.
What About Negotiations?
In an uncontested divorce, the spouses have already settled on the phases of the divorce, including the problems couples usually face, such as division of property, child custody, visitation, alimony, and spousal support. If there are any disagreements or unresolved troubles, mediation may be required to facilitate negotiation among the spouses.
However, on account of this being an uncontested divorce, negotiations are frequently minimal or unnecessary. The spouses, in reality, need to sign the marital agreement agreement, which outlines all the phases of the divorce, and publish it to the courtroom for approval.
Finalization Of Divorce
Once the waiting period has passed and all the necessary paperwork has been filed with the court, the judge reviews the case to make sure everything is in order. If there are no issues or contradictions, the judge issues a final divorce decree, officially ending the marriage.
A final divorce usually occurs within 30 to 60 days after the initial filing, but this timeline can vary depending on the court’s schedule and workload.
