Gain New Insights About the Dissolution of Marriage
Fortunately, there are attorneys who have impeccable ethics, have good hearts, and help couples dissolve their marriages without having to spend a fortune. There is also an unfortunate truth that some attorneys push people into a divorce because the attorney knows he/she will make much more money on a divorce than on a dissolution.
The focus at Langhals Law is to lead clients through the dissolution process in the most efficient and comfortable way possible. As a matter of fact, so many dissolutions have been handled at Langhals Law over the years, that we have a system in place that streamlines the dissolution process and is very easy to follow for everyone involved.
The Process
Here are the steps of our process:
1.) The client [and his/her spouse] are given the affidavits and forms to fill out at home. The client is also provided with a checklist of paperwork to collect and turn in to the attorney. We call this the “Homework.” Completing the "Homework" at home saves the couple money because they are filling out these documents themselves instead of having the attorney fill them out.
2.) The client sends the completed "Homework" back to Langhals Law by either dropping it off at the office, scanning and emailing it, faxing it, or mailing it. Langhals Law converts the information from the "Homework" into all of the legal documents necessary for a dissolution, like a Separation Agreement, Shared Parenting Plan or Parenting Plan, Petition for Dissolution, Decree of Dissolution, etc.
3.) Langhals Law emails all of the documentation to the client and to the client's spouse so they can review it and make sure everything is written exactly the way they want it. If edits need to be made, we will make them. Then, the client and the spouse call in to set up an appointment.
4.) The client and his/her spouse set up their own appointments to go over all of the documentation on a big screen to ensure everything is correct. We print off the documents for signature. If the client's spouse wishes to have an attorney of his/her own review the paperwork before signing it, we have the spouse take the documents to that attorney for a review, and we simply wait for the paperwork to be returned.
5.) Once all of the paperwork has been signed, Langhals Law files the dissolution documents with the Court. The scheduling bailiff or scheduling clerk will usually call us to schedule a hearing date about a month after we file the dissolution documents. We will let both of the parties know the date and time of the court hearing, and the Court will
also mail a Notice to each party with the date and time of the hearing. By law, the date for the court hearing is not allowed to be set within the first 30 days after a Petition for Dissolution is filed, but the hearing must be scheduled for a date that is within 90 days of the day a Petition for Dissolution is filed. Thus, our court hearing will be sometime between day 31 and day 90 after the day we file the Petition for Dissolution. For example, if we filed a Petition for Dissolution with all of the necessary paperwork on January 1st, we know the Court is not allowed to set the hearing in the first 30 days (January 1 through January 31) but must have the hearing before 90 days pass (the 90th day from the day we filed would be approximately April 1st). Thus, our court hearing would be set for a date in February or March.
6.) On the day of the court hearing, it is a good idea to arrive at the courthouse about 15-20 minutes early so we can find our courtroom and get ready to begin. The hearing usually takes about 20-30 minutes, and depending on which County we're in, the Decree of Dissolution (Court Order) will be sent to the parties within a week or two.
This system keeps the dissolution process running smoothly, amicably, and in a cost-effective manner.
Reach Out
For any inquiries about the dissolution process, please contact me today. I look forward to working with you soon.