|
It's quite a relief when you find that your divorce has been finalized. In many cases, it takes a long time before these decisions get finalized. In contentious divorce cases, the relief really comes from the fact that at last, the fighting in court can stop and both parties can go on with their lives. It's important that as your divorce wraps up, you approach the process the correct way so that you can start your new life as a single person with the right legal and financial outlook.
One of the first things you should do is to read the final orders of the judge in your divorce decree. Some people have read the divorce decree several times already that they don't bother to read the final orders. It's important that you go through it to make sure that there are no corrections to be made and that you understand the contents in the decree. For each of the items in the decree, create a calendar item so that you can have an idea at a glance what you need to do and when you need to complete them. Look for typographical errors and errors in any of the details that are important in the decree so that you won't have any problems with them in the future. If you see anything that needs to be corrected, list them down and have your divorce lawyer take care of it for you.
In case the things you want to change about the divorce decree has nothing to do with typographical and minor clerical errors, you should take immediate action. In most states, you're given 30 days after the date of the final divorce order to request a new hearing to change the divorce decree. This applies to anything major such as property division, especially if you claim that you only agreed to the settlement under duress (you were forced or threatened).
However, if both you and your ex spouse agree that some major changes should be made to the decree, then you don't have to go through a new hearing to do this. You just need to file a request for the orders to be modified and have a judge approve the changes. Because the decision to make the changes are amicable, there's no time limit to the request.
If you feel that the judge who made the ruling in your divorce case made a legal error, you can appeal your final divorce decree. This means that you're going to ask a higher court to review the case without new evidence being introduced. Provided you can point out a specific legal mistake, courts can accommodate this request. However, this is something that happens infrequently. It's also something that you should think very deeply about because appeals can take a long time and would entail a lot of money for the legal fees.
Should there be no reason to dispute or amend the divorce order, it's important that you carry them out in order to not face legal issues in the future. Itemize the things that you need to take care of such as child support, transferring properties, transferring retirement plans, and the likes. More often than not, there will be a deadline to all of these items. It's better not to cut it too close when it comes to these things. Allow your self time to complete the items in the list.
|
Subscribe
