The parties can and should earnestly attempt to settle the issues in their divorce. If they cannot settle every issue, at least settling some of them is better than litigating every issue.

 

If the parties settle, a Marital Settlement Agreement is prepared and signed, and your case can proceed directly to the prove-up hearing in order to conclude your case. [The prove-up hearing basically is the last court appearance in which one or both parties give testimony explaining to the judge the grounds for the divorce and the fairness of the terms agreed to in the Marital Settlement Agreement.]

 

Some parties have settled all their issues before they even first meet with the attorney. That is called an "uncontested case" because there are no contested issues. An uncontested case should take less than eight (8) weeks to complete from the time you first meet your attorney.

 

Ruggiero & Associates, P.C. is happy to assist in uncontested cases, yet is quite willing and able to competently litigate highly contested cases as well.