- Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Though the experience of a divorce can feel deeply personal, you must take the steps necessary to ensure you have an experienced divorce lawyer by your side every step of the way.
At Greenwood Law, we have extensive experience guiding clients in Kernersville and throughout Forsyth County through nearly every kind of divorce imaginable, from quick, uncomplicated cases to complex separations involving young children and significant assets. Whether you’re already in the midst of a divorce or preparing for one, we invite you to get in touch with our team to set up a free consultation.
It’s common knowledge that going through a divorce is a time in which people need the help of an attorney. However, if you haven’t been through a divorce before, you might not be entirely sure how an attorney can help.
Here’s a look at what our team of divorce lawyers can do to facilitate the process:
Going through a divorce can be a confusing and disorienting experience. But at Greenwood Law, we always take the time to ensure each of our clients understands their legal options and the various steps they’ll need to go through before their divorce is finalized.
When you work with us, we can explain some of the most critical parts of the divorce process, including the following:
We also can help you decide how you want to proceed should you and your spouse find yourselves unable to settle disagreements about the divorce.
Many people believe litigation is their only option for doing so, but you can save time and money if you choose methods of alternative dispute resolution like mediation and arbitration. There’s more than one way to go through a divorce, and we can help you fully understand your options and chart a course forward.
Divorce cases in Kernersville are handled by the Forsyth County Courthouse. Even if your divorce doesn’t involve litigation, there are still documents that must be filed with the court to ensure your divorce is finalized, namely:
These are only the initial documents that must be filed, however. As your divorce progresses, you may need to file additional documents.
While some people choose to file for divorce without the help of an attorney, the process is often needlessly stressful. When you work with our team at Greenwood Law, you can spare yourself the confusion and frustration of trying to determine what forms to file, how to fill them out, and how to file them properly.
The division of marital property is often one of the most contentious parts of a divorce. North Carolina is an “equitable distribution” state, meaning that the court will generally divide marital property in a way it deems fair, not necessarily equal.
A truly equitable division of property starts with an accurate valuation. When you work with Greenwood Law, we’ll take the time to make sure all marital property is accurately valued. We’ll also look for undisclosed assets, seeing as sometimes, a spouse may deliberately or accidentally not report a particular account.
From there, we can advocate for you during the property division phase. If you’re going through an informal negotiation with your spouse, we can help you find solutions that are fair to both of you. And if the court will be making decisions on property division, we can advocate to ensure you get your fair share.
Division of marital property can be emotionally difficult, as mentioned. But determining child custody after divorce can be (and often is) even more challenging.
Unless there is some clear reason why either you or the other spouse could be legally deemed unable to properly care for your child, the court will typically allow for joint custody. You and the other parent will have equal rights when it comes to physically housing the child and making important decisions (like schooling and medical care) for them. In these outcomes, you and your spouse will need a parenting plan.
It might seem easy to determine when the child spends time with each parent. However, there are many logistical details to keep track of, too, such as where custody exchanges will take place, how the child will be transported between parents, and who gets the child on holidays.
Having a clear and detailed plan will save you from endless disputes down the line, and our team can help you and your spouse make parenting decisions that support the best interests of your child.
If you and your spouse need some help making decisions but don’t need (or want) a judge to make those decisions for you, you might decide that mediation is the best way forward. Through mediation, you and your spouse will work with a neutral third-party mediator who will help you make important decisions. They cannot take sides, and any agreements you reach in mediation are not legally binding.
In some instances of mediation, each spouse will have an attorney advocate by their side; if need be, we can do that for you.
Often, if there is a disparity between the incomes of the two spouses, the higher-earning spouse will give a settlement to the lower-earning spouse. However, negotiating the value of that settlement can prove to be very challenging.
We can help protect your rights regardless of which side of the agreement you’re on. If you’re paying the settlement, we can help make sure you aren’t taken advantage of. And if you’re receiving it, we can argue for you to receive enough money to be comfortably supported as you adjust to life outside of marriage.
The Forsyth County Register of Deeds maintains marriage records in Kernersville, though it doesn’t generally maintain divorce records. Nevertheless, if you intend to remarry, the office must have a record of your divorce to ensure you can legally do so. Our team can make sure the Register of Deeds receives all the information needed to issue you a new marriage license.
Having the right divorce lawyer cannot completely erase the stress that comes from going through the divorce process. But when you have a skilled attorney advocating for your rights, you can be confident that you have a great chance of a favorable outcome.
At Greenwood Law, we have the experience needed to provide you with the quality representation you deserve. We’re tenacious advocates and litigators, but we also can offer you the kind of support and patience you need through this difficult time. Give us a call or fill out our online contact form to set up a free initial consultation and find out whether we’re the divorce lawyers for you.
