Sometimes a marriage simply does not work out long term due to irreconcilable differences. Maybe over time, you and your spouse have grown apart and developed your own interests. Perhaps an affair has made the marriage impossible to save, thus requiring you to move on.
If you are contemplating a marital split-up in Ohio, you may want to consider a marriage dissolution. This is, in fact, not the same thing as a contested divorce. A marriage dissolution, unlike a contested divorce, offers the benefit of saving you stress, time and money.
What is marriage dissolution?
The dissolution of a marriage is a method of terminating a marital union but in an uncontested way. Both you and your spouse work on achieving an agreement outside of court regarding how you want to resolve relevant matters, such as spousal support, child support and child custody/visitation. In your agreement, you can also address the division of debt and marital property.
With this process, both you and your spouse must be fully cooperative. You both have to be willing to give each other financial information or other types of necessary information without the need for the court to intercede. If you cannot agree with your spouse on every matter, then a contested divorce is inevitable.
How lengthy is the marriage dissolution process?
How long it takes to complete marriage dissolution depends on how much time you and your spouse require to achieve total agreement. The process usually takes several months, but it can be much shorter or longer depending on your circumstances. Once you have filed your separation agreement and other necessary documents, such as a shared parenting agreement, you will have to appear in court just one time to finalize your marital dissolution.
Dissolution vs. divorce
In the state of Ohio, about 50 percent of divorces begin as dissolutions. However, less than 33 percent actually complete the marriage dissolution process. Most cases end up being contested divorces, but over 95 percent end up settling prior to going to trial. Resolving a case before trial can make the divorce process much more amicable in the long run and can especially help parents to learn how to address their issues on their own, which will be necessary as they co-parent in the years ahead.
