Divorce Attorneys in Medford, Oregon
Going through a divorce is one of the most challenging things a person will experience. If children are involved, the parents must agree on custody and parenting time; if the parents are unable to reach an agreement, the court will decide these issues. You need an attorney that understands the importance of your relationship with your children, age-appropriate parenting plans, and someone who will fight to maintain your relationship with your children.
Divorce also involves financial matters, including the division of property allocation of debts and support. Once your divorce is final, usually, the provisions regarding property and debts can not be modified. In addition, it is difficult and costly to change spousal support. You need to avoid mistakes regarding all aspects of your divorce. Our experienced divorce attorneys are here to advise you to make good decisions and to advocate for you to obtain your goals for your divorce.
What Are Legal Obligations of a Divorce?
When you and your spouse married, both of you assumed legal obligations to each other. The same is true when you divorce; there are legal obligations for both of you that must be considered and followed. The most important – and often most difficult – consideration that must be taken into account are your children. You and your spouse have legal obligations to your children to provide and maintain their health, education, and well being. In Oregon, however, joint custody is only awarded if both parents are in total agreement, which is often not the case.
This means that one parent is often granted sole custody of a child or children. The parent with “sole custody” has more legal authority to make decisions that affect the life of any children in the marriage, while the “non-custodial” parent has few or no legal rights to make decisions regarding a child’s upbringing.
What is the Difference Between Contested & Uncontested Divorce?
Contested Divorce Information: When a couple cannot come to agreement through negotiation, mediation, or the collaborative law process, then it becomes necessary to settle the divorce in court. The court will rule on any issue that is causing discord or disagreement, whatever it is. There are times when this may seem easier than reaching an agreement together, or with the help of your attorneys and/or a mediator, but it can also cause deep resentment and frustration for one or both parties. The court is an impartial, impersonal, third party who has no knowledge of the personalities involved in the marriage. The court will have little insight into the needs and abilities of each member of the family, so the rulings the court hands down may not consider or reflect the preferences of the children or the parents. This can become difficult as these rulings are required and enforced, they are difficult to alter or change, and they may cause undue hardship, either emotionally or financially to all parties involved. In a case like this, it is important to have an attorney who will work closely with you to help resolve your issues in a favorable way. While it is important to avoid unnecessary complications, it is also important not to place either spouse at a disadvantage after the divorce is over.
Uncontested Divorce A divorce can be costly. In order to save money, many couples are deciding to forgo going to court and process their own divorce. There are many low cost document providers which are willing to sell you fill in the blank divorce paperwork. However, there are many complex issues involved in a divorce and there is no substitute to having an experienced attorney handle your divorce and explain your legal rights. A divorce may determine the parties’ future custodial rights to their children, parenting time with their children, support and allocation of marital assets and debts. These issues are to important to be left to a fill in the blank form.
Our attorneys can help you understand the likely outcomes in your case and negotiate a fair settlement. In those cases where parties cannot resolve their differences we will aggressively litigate all disputed issues in your case. Our attorneys have considerable trial experience and we are accustomed to strongly advocating for our clients in court. Our goal is to provide you with certainty that you have achieved a favorable outcome based on the facts and law applicable to your case.
