You may have heard a lot about divorce, that it’s a lengthy and time-consuming process, and that you even have to spend a lot of money to get one. But the time, process, cost, hassle, and other factors depend upon the type of divorce case, i.e., whether it’s a contested or uncontested case. Consider these factors to explore uncontested divorce vs contested divorce.
In general, there are two main types of divorce cases: contested divorce and uncontested divorce. The difference between a contested and uncontested divorce is whether both parties agree on the terms of the divorce or not. Let’s know about these types and the main points on uncontested divorce vs contested divorce, which are as follows:
CONTESTED DIVORCE:
A contested divorce is when either one or both parties do not agree on the main terms of getting a divorce. Like, getting the divorce, property distribution, child custody, child support, division of assets, and many more. When both spouses are unable to agree on the same terms of the divorce, they have to go through the whole process. That inlcudes, the involvement of an attorney, and leave the final decision to the judge.
The process of divorce is much more complicated, time-consuming, and even costlier, especially because of the lawyer’s fee. Due to this, the whole process gets lengthy and even more stressful.
The general process and steps of a contested divorce are too long, including filing the document, hiring a lawyer (or an attorney), doing discovery, negotiating, going to trial, getting a final decision, and even filing an appeal if you don’t like it. The steps and even the order of the steps may vary depending on your state and country. In short, it is quite a complicated and stressful process. And due to this, it gets too expensive to get a divorce.
In this whole process, the judge may try to help couples resolve their issues on their own. If they still can’t able to resolve, the judge makes the final decision after considering all the aspects. This is how a contested divorce reaches a final decision.
Before exploring uncontested divorce vs contested divorce, let’s learn a little bit about uncontested divorce.
UNCONTESTED DIVORCE:
When both spouses agree on all the major terms of getting a divorce, i.e., from the property division to the asset division to the child’s custody to the child’s support, and many more, it is called an “uncontested divorce.” As this case is quite simple, it is less time-consuming and even less costly as compared to a contested divorce.
Since they already agreed on the main terms of the divorce, this type of divorce is less stressful. Because there is no need for discovery, negotiation, or even an appeal. The process gets so simple, i.e., they hire the lawyer to create documents, both parties agree, and review the documents. Then finally, the judge approves, and they get the divorce.
Some couples get it offline, while others prefer to have online over offline because it’s much more convenient and quick. And even saves a good amount of money. Don’t worry; online divorces are just as legal as divorces done in person.
So if you want an uncontested divorce, it’s best to go online. The best thing about an uncontested online divorce is that you don’t have to visit your lawyer or court repeatedly. The online platform just guides you at every step of filing the documents with the court (hence, there is no need to hire a lawyer). And you can further save a good amount of money on a lawyer’s fee.
For that, you can visit the site OnlineDivorce.com, which is reputed, has years of experience, and is one of the top sites to get an online divorce. It provides services in all the states of the USA and Canada.
Now that you understand both types of divorce, it gets easier for you to understand the points that specify uncontested divorce vs contested divorce. So here we go:
Uncontested divorce vs contested divorce
Both types of divorce, i.e., contested and uncontested divorce, are quite different from each other in many ways. To understand the difference between the two in a better way, look at the following points:
- A contested divorce is one where the couple doesn’t agree on the terms of getting divorced, like property division, child custody, etc. On the other hand, an uncontested divorce is where the couple agrees on all the terms of getting a divorce.
- Contested divorce is complicated and stressful, whereas uncontested divorce is simple and less stressful.
- The process of a contested divorce is lengthy, so it takes more time to get the divorce. But on the other hand, the process of an uncontested divorce is not lengthy, so that’ll take less time.
- The cost of getting a contested divorce is much higher than the cost of getting an uncontested divorce.
- In a contested divorce, you (as a couple) have less control over the decision because the final decision is made by the judge. Whereas, in an uncontested divorce, as you have already talked about and agreed on the terms of separation, you (as a couple) have more control over the decision.
- Contested divorces are more likely to end in an agitated way, whereas uncontested divorces are more likely to end peacefully.
I hope all these points clear up your doubts regarding uncontested vs. contested divorce.
WINDING UP:
Knowing the difference between contested and uncontested divorce makes it easier for you to make the right decision. Now that you are at the point of ending your marital relationship, it is better to end it as peacefully as possible. Because you are already handling the emotional rollercoaster inside you. So it’s even good to be less stressful at some point at least. So try to go for an uncontested divorce by settling all the things at your level.
But in some cases, it’s not possible to agree on all the terms of getting a divorce because the matter is quite sensitive and important. Then you have to go through the contested divorce process.
