When a marriage breaks down, it can be traumatic for everyone involved. However, a long or acrimonious court battle rarely makes things better. In fact, spending months or years battling with your ex-partner could make it harder to deal with the practical and emotional impact that divorce has.
New Jersey might have one of the lowest divorce rates in the country, but a substantial number of couples still find reasons to part ways. In the U.S., 40-50% of first-time marriages end in divorce and this percentage increases for subsequent unions. Sadly, this means around half of the population will experience divorce first-hand.
If you’re going through a relationship breakdown and you want to avoid a drawn-out, messy legal battle, take a look at these top tips for getting a fast divorce in New Jersey:
1. Get Legal Advice
Before you take any action, it’s important to get legal advice. Ending a marriage can be relatively easy but it’s the additional issues that can cause problems when it comes to splitting up with your spouse. Deciding how custody of shared children should be arranged or how your assets should be split is often a major hurdle to overcome when getting divorced, which is why it’s essential to get legal advice.
By consulting with an experienced divorce lawyer, like Arons& Solomon, P.A, you can find out exactly what your rights are and what you’re entitled to. This will give you a good starting point to decide what type of settlement you’d be happy with.
2. Remain Amicable
When you’re able to get along with your spouse, it’s possible to speed up the divorce process. Although this isn’t always viable, remaining amicable and being realistic about potential settlements can help to streamline the negotiation stage and fast-track your divorce. An uncontested divorce in New Jersey can be dealt with in as little as six to eight weeks, so staying on good terms with your ex and working together to get the divorce finalized can be an effective way to avoid lengthy delays.
3. Avoid Litigation
If you and your ex-partner can agree how to split your assets or how to share custody of your children, there may be no need for you to go to court. Litigation can significantly increase the amount of time it takes to get divorced, and it can cause costs to spiral as well.
With court delays and case preparation to consider, avoiding litigation can certainly be advantageous if you want to get a fast divorce in New Jersey. By using mediation or conciliation, for example, you can negotiate with your spouse and find reasonable solutions when it comes to the practical consequences of your divorce.
Divorce Rates Are Set to Rise
The national divorce rate currently sits at 2.7 per 1,000 people but many experts are predicting that the number of divorces taking place will rise sharply in 2021 due to the impact of COVID-19. If so, waiting times for court dates and hearings are likely to increase. Despite this, seeking advice from a family lawyer, knowing your rights and being willing to negotiate could help you to avoid the wait times and enable you to get a fast divorce.
