Divorce Types Court Eslpod End Contested Person Contrast

There are many types of "divorce" (the official end to a marriage). For example, divorces may be "contested" or "uncontested." A "contested" divorce is a divorce that involves arguing and disagreement, with issues that the two "parties" (the people involved in a legal case, or the husband and wife in a divorce) cannot reach agreement on. They might disagree on how "assets" (things that are worth money) should be divided, "spousal support" (payments made by one person to the spouse after a divorce), or "child custody" (rules about how often each person will be with the children).

In contrast, in an "uncontested" divorce, the parties agree to "proceed" (continue and move forward) with the divorce in a "collaborative" (working together) way. Divorces may begin as uncontested and then become contested, or "vice versa" (the other way around).

In a "fault-based" divorce, the court has to determine who is "at fault" (who is responsible for a problem; who can be blamed) for the divorce. For example, the court might consider how one spouse's "cheating" (having a sexual relationship with someone outside of marriage) or "abuse" (damaging or hurtful treatment of another person) "justifies" (makes reasonable) the divorce. In contrast, in a "no-fault" divorce, the court does not have to determine who is at fault for the end of the marriage.

"Navigating" (figuring out the process of) a divorce can be time-consuming, but in some states, there is a simpler option: a "summary dissolution" or a "simplified divorce." These are options for "short-lived" (lasting for only a short period of time) marriages with "minimal" (few) assets and no children. These types of divorces can be processed much more quickly than more traditional divorces.