There are times when you feel confused about what your lawyer is talking about. Legal terms are confusing and difficult to understand. At Kohlmeyer Hagen Law Office, they know your needs, especially those difficult to talk about, such as money matters, house, and future, and provide you with proper support and guidance.
Before filing a divorce, following are some legal terms with their meaning:
- Affidavit – It is a sworn statement made before a notary public under an oath or an affirmation in public.
- Alimony – One partner gives the amount to another for support purposes.
- Child support – This is the total amount that the child needs in a month. It includes the expenses of the child and provides daycare fees. The gross income of both the parents is compared, and no special adjustments are made.
- COBRA – It stands for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, and it is a federal law giving you and your spouse the right to continue health coverage on a self-paid basis.
- Emancipation – It is the point when your child reaches the age of 18 or 21. The age differs in every state. After your child is 18/21, you do not have to pay for the child support or are required to pay for college or tuition expenses of your child.
- Hearing – A session arranged by the court to resolve any legal disputes. Attorneys of both parties offer testimony or arguments.
- Joint custody – This is one of the most popular terms. It means that both parents make joint decisions for the child’s future. Decisions related to education, medical care, summer camps, and sports activities are shared by both parents. However, the parent with physical custody takes the day-to-day decisions.
- Mediation – It is an informal process where both parties come together and discuss matters that are not resolved at the court. It is done under the presence of a neutral party known as a mediator.
- Trial – The trial is a legal process that takes place before the judge. In this process, the judge reviews all the evidence and hears testimonies from the parties’ witnesses.
- Visitation – It is a legal right granted to non-custodial parents to see their children.
- Petitioner – The spouse who first files for divorce.
- Respondent – The respondent is the opposite party to the petitioner.
- The non-custodial parent – The parent with whom the child is not living physically.
- No-fault divorce – This is where both the parties are not held at fault. The divorce process is done mutually without any guilt or misconduct.
Having no idea about any legal terms makes the divorce process complicated. Therefore, if you know their meaning and when these terms are used, your divorce process will get much more manageable.