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Contested Divorce Lawyer

Not all divorce proceedings go smoothly. In cases where the divorcing parties cannot agree on certain terms of the separation – such as child custody, child support, visitation, property and division of assets – a contested divorce lawyer can help you get the divorce settlement that’s best for you and your children.

Contested divorce are made up of parties (spouses) that cannot agree upon the divorce or any one aspect of the divorce or final decree.  Contentious custody or property battles fall into this category.  Each spouse typically hires a divorce or family law attorney to represent them.

While these matters can result in a lengthy trial, with the help of an experienced family law attorney, the parties can often times negotiate and possibly mediate. Trials can be lengthy and most courts in the Houston area require the parties to mediate prior to trial. There is no maximum time limit in which a divorce must be finalized and contested divorces can be quite lengthy lasting from the minimum of 61 days up to several years.

Mediation Lawyer for Contested Divorce

When divorces are contested or “contentious,” the divorce proceedings are often required to go through a mediation process in lieu of trial, where a judge will determine the division of assets and any child custody issues.  The mediator will work with you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse to reach a settlement to any property fight or custody battle.

In mediation, you and your contested divorce lawyer will either sit in the same room as the other party or, if relations are particularly acrimonious, in another room.  The mediator will then help facilitate a divorce settlement that suits everyone’s needs.  If the parties are kept in separate rooms, the mediator will visit each party and their contested divorce lawyer with terms from the other party.  The mediation process will continue until both parties have agreed to a divorce settlement.

As mediation is a voluntary process, the parties do not have to settle, and may turn back to the court for trial of their divorce proceedings.  Having a contested divorce lawyer on hand is particularly helpful here, as court proceedings can be complicated and highly emotional, especially in cases where there is a custody fight or property fight.  A judge or jury will decide the contested matters of property division and child custody.  A judgment will be issued, either after settlement, in which case it will be agreed or after trial.  Once the judge has decided all of the issues, the proceedings are finalized with a final decree of divorce.

Contested Custody Lawyer  

A custody fight is only appropriate when it is in the best interest of the children.  Parents are often devastated by the idea that there will be periods of time when they will be without their children.  Reality dictates that both parents will be able to spend a significant amount of time with the children and will be without the children for significant periods of time, regardless of who is the primary custodian.

The parents' desire to punish or get revenge against the other, should not be a factor. A custody battle will be expensive, will probably be harmful to the children emotionally, and will make parenting with the ex-spouse difficult in the future.

If you want to ensure that you get the settlement that’s fair for you and your children, then it’s important to have a Houston contested divorce lawyer by your side throughout the entire process.  Divorce proceedings are extremely complex, even in the smoothest and friendliest of cases – and if your opposing party is unwilling to agree to your terms, then it’s vital to have a legal voice who will fight for your rights to your children, property and marriage assets.

When selecting the best contested divorce lawyer in Houston, make sure you choose an experienced attorney who will have your best interests at heart.   Experienced Houston divorce lawyer, Melissa E. Palmer, will aggressively and diligently fight to obtain the best results for you and you children.  Whether you need to protect assets or a family business or you are fighting to obtain your share of assets controlled by your spouse, we can help.  Call Today and get started on the necessary steps to ensure that you will not lose custody of your children and you will get the best custody arrangement possible.  Make an appointment for a free consultation at 713-218-6900 or toll free 866-868-0600.  Contact us by email at houstondivorcelawyer.