It’s never easy when two people decide that they have to get a divorce. It’s even worse when one person wants a divorce and the other doesn’t. The situation gets more complicated depending upon how long the couple was married, how many young children remain in their care, and how many assets they’ve accumulated. Both the husband and wife need to hire their own Divorce attorney Mequon WI to represent them. Then they can begin the process of dividing property and determining who gets custody of the children.
Personal wealth includes assets such as homes, cars, boats and property. It also includes 401k plans and pensions. In an ideal world, both parties list all of their assets and agree to their value. Then they or the judge can divide them fairly. However, if one partner has been thinking about divorce for a long time, they might attempt to hide assets prior to filing for divorce. Sometimes lawyers have to hire forensic accountants to go through bank records and business filings to determine the true wealth of a husband or a wife. This can be a difficult and expensive task. Even the valuation of a business can be a difficult process. The husband might claim that it’s barely making a profit. While the wife says it’s always been profitable.
While the accountants are determining financial matters, the court also has to consider where any minor children will live and which parent has custody. If the parents can agree to parenting matters and they can maintain a civil relationship, the judge might award joint custody. If the parents live near one another, the kids might alternate living spaces each month. Some parents can’t agree on anything so joint custody won’t work. A divorce attorney in Mequon WI may also have to prove that one of the parents is not fit to parent. In that case, the judge will determine who can best provide a home for the children.
Once sole custody is established, the court will examine the financial situation of the non-custodial parent to determine if they must pay child support or alimony. Visitation rights will be outlined and a visitation schedule will be set up. During this discussion the judge is considering what’s best for the children, not the parents.