For more than 30 years, we have represented people who are struggling with the decision to dissolve marriage through divorce. Our primary concern is to keep the unity of the family whenever possible; however, this is not always possible and divorce is the only solution feasible.

From a legal standpoint, a divorce will give each person the legal right to marry someone else, divide the couple’s assets and debts, and determine the future care and custody of their children.

Deciding to pursue divorce is one of the most difficult and emotional decisions you will ever make, particularly if you have children. Divorce involving a business and other legal questions can be equally challenging and emotional.

Involving a competent divorce lawyer early in the process is one of the best things you can do to preserve your long term financial and emotional health. An experienced divorce attorney will help you understand the basic issues in filing for divorce and use an objective perspective to approach the divorce litigation process. The dissolution of marriage process has essentially the same steps regardless of the divorce being an amicable divorce or a contested divorce.

The majority of states allow some form of “no-fault” divorce, which does not require proof of fault for the failure of the marriage. However, some states still require a legal reason for divorce. These fault-divorce states have statutes that specifically outline the types of conduct that must be proven in order to get a fault-based divorce. The more common types of fault include adultery, mental illness, conviction of a felony, abandonment, drug abuse, cruelty, impotency, and bigamy.