Temporary Orders

What to do After the Divorce Petition has Been Filed?

The divorce petition has been filed, now what? Trial in a divorce case is typically one year out, give or take a month or two. This will depend on the county and schedule of the court. You do not need to be stuck with uncertainty prior to final agreement or trial. You can ask the court to determine spousal support (alimony), parenting plan, child support, restraining orders, who pays what debt, who will live in the house, who will pay the mortgage, who will provide insurance, who will have use of the car, who will have use of personal property, etc. on a temporary basis.

This can also ease the tension in a case as uncertainty tends to cause a lot of stress and anxiety. Temporary orders can also be helpful where a spouse is being unreasonable and uncooperative. Though not true in every case, we tend to see things calm down after temporary orders are entered.

It is important to note that the orders are only temporary and last until changed by the court, usually by agreement or after trial when final orders are entered. Call us to help determine whether temporary orders are right for your situation. Our phone number is (253) 234-1934.