Typical Divorce Case Steps

If you or your spouse has lived for at least the last six months in Virginia, South Carolina, Florida or Texas, you can start the divorce process in the county where you live. Every case is unique, and most divorce cases are settled with minimal court involvement. However, some cases go all the way through a trial.

Here are the basic steps in a divorce case:

• Pre-divorce planning
• Filing for a divorce
• Serving divorce papers on your spouse
• Temporary/pendente lite orders
• Discovery
• Mediation
• Settlement conference
• Trial
• Judgment entered for the dissolution of the marriage

While the divorce process looks straightforward when written down, it is an emotional process with periods of frantic activity and many long periods of waiting for the next step. No two people will have the same experience.