Many Georgia residents find that they have more questions than answers when it comes to divorce. This is understandable, as the decision to divorce can be a major, life-altering choice. For starters, it can help to understand the common timeline of a divorce case as it proceeds through the civil legal system.
First, a person who is going to file for divorce needs to make sure that all of the basic requirements under state law have been met before they do so. Usually, the basic requirements focus on where the spouses live, for example. Next, the actual legal documents to file for divorce need to be drafted and filed in the correct court.
From there, the divorce paperwork needs to be served on the other spouse. This means that the documents are correctly, verifiably delivered. After that step is complete, the spouse who is served with the divorce documents will typically need to respond.
The heart of the case
After the legal back-and-forth of filing and serving documents in the initial stages of the case is completed, a divorce case can go many different ways. Some divorcing couples are able to engage in direct negotiations in order to attempt to resolve the issues in the case. Others might engage in mediation to reach an acceptable agreement. But, still others may need to go through court hearings and other litigation to resolve the divorce case. Your timeline may ultimately look much different from other divorce cases because each case and the facts involved are unique.
