Many individuals in Massachusetts may be contemplating the idea of getting divorced. The problem is, they do not know exactly where to start, especially when they have to make major decisions involving property division and alimony. Here is a rundown on how to go about divorce in Massachusetts.
First, is essential that those who are thinking about going through divorce ask themselves why exactly they want to divorce. If they are not 100 percent sure that they want to end their marriages, it may make sense to consider marriage counseling. Then, if they decide that they truly want to divorce, they can start to think about how they want the divorce process to pan out.
A common misconception is that those who choose to get divorced will end up going to court. The reality is that there are multiple paths that couples going through divorce can take, including mediation and litigation. With mediation, two spouses get together with a neutral third party to work out their divorce terms on their own. This is often less stressful and less costly than traditional divorce litigation.
However, in some divorce cases in Massachusetts, litigation is unavoidable. After all, two spouses might not necessarily be in agreement about how to handle property division if they have high-value assets, for instance. These assets may include a home, a piece of land or even a business. However, an attorney can help a divorcing spouse to pursue his or her fair share of the marital assets and make sure that his or her rights are upheld every step of the way.