Springfield Agreed Divorce Attorney
If you and your spouse both agree it’s time to dissolve the marriage and neither party is contesting matters related to child custody, support or the division of property, then it’s possible to utilize a simplified process for dissolution of marriage of Missouri. This process is known as an uncontested divorce or agreed divorce, and it can be finalized in less than two months from start to finish. Our Springfield divorce attorneys can guide you through this process and help ensure your agreed divorce concludes smoothly and successfully. Learn more about agreed divorce below, and contact Courtney & Mills for assistance.
How agreed divorce works in Missouri
In the typical Missouri divorce case, one spouse files the petition to divorce with the court and serves the papers on the other spouse, who then files an answer to the petition in court, and the case proceeds from there. In an uncontested or agreed divorce, both spouses prepare and file one petition jointly. In addition to the petition, the court will require financial disclosures, including an income and expense statement and a statement of property and debt. If the couple has kids together, they’ll need to prepare and submit a parenting plan and also complete the child support worksheet. The local court may require additional documents as well; these forms vary from court to court.
At a minimum, a Missouri court will not grant a divorce until 30 days after the petition is filed. In a contested divorce, the process takes many months to complete. In an agreed divorce, we can ask the court to approve your divorce as soon as the 30 days have elapsed. Given the time it takes to prepare all documents for filing and the time needed for the court to finalize the divorce, in our experience, an agreed divorce can be completed in about 50 days from when we begin preparing your documents.
Our Springfield divorce lawyers can help with an agreed divorce
Our experienced Springfield divorce lawyers offer a trusted guiding hand through the process of an agreed divorce. We’ll prepare all required documents, file them with the court and seek final approval of divorce at the appropriate time. We’ll help spell out who gets what property and who pays which debts, as well as where and when the children will live or spend time with each parent.
When a couple tries to get an agreed divorce themselves, they often enter the process with the best of intentions. Still, issues crop up when working out the details, emotions get in the way, and an uncontested divorce can turn contested, delaying the process and introducing unneeded conflict. We can help by keeping the process on track and ensuring both parties remain on the same page when seeking an agreed divorce.
Although working in the spirit of cooperation, we perform our services for the filing party. When filing a joint petition, each party should have the documents reviewed by their own independent counsel before signing and submitting papers to the court. We are available to review documents prepared by the other party’s lawyer, as well being the law firm that prepares the documents initially.
We offer affordable flat fees in agreed divorces, including when your divorce includes children or property. In any event, our complete cost for an agreed divorce is well under $1,000, including required Greene County court filing fees. Call our office for a cost estimate in your specific divorce. You can also visit Missouri Divorce Source for more information.
Get Your Springfield Agreed Divorce with Less Cost, Less Time and Less Stress
For help with agreed divorce in Springfield, call Courtney & Mills at 417-869-9888, or contact us online.
