Suffolk County Contested Divorce Lawyer

A contested divorce is one in which the husband and wife cannot come to an agreement on all of the issues related to the termination of their marriage. When the couple cannot agree, even with the aid of lawyers, they must ask the court to decide.

Contested divorces are common because numerous issues need to be worked out between divorcing couples, including:

Located in the heart of Central Islip, the Law Offices of Shawn R. Kassman provides quality representation to men and women throughout Suffolk County and Nassau County, including the areas in and around Bayshore, Oakdale, Sayville, Riverhead, Port Jefferson, Brentwood and Holtsville in contested divorces.

To speak with an experienced Suffolk County family law attorney about your contested divorce matter, please call 631-232-9479 (toll-free 1-888-545-2944).

Shawn Kassman will interview you thoroughly and gather all documents pertaining to your marital assets, your children, and any other issues you feel are pertinent. He will discuss the property division, prepare your divorce petition and file it with the court.

The petition then will be served to your spouse in person, by mail or by a deputy sheriff. If you cannot locate your spouse, a notice will be published in local newspapers, and you will wait a predetermined amount of time before moving ahead with the divorce.

Your spouse must respond to the divorce petition within 30 days. If your spouse does not, he or she will be in default, and you may obtain a default judgment. Otherwise, your case will enter the discovery and settlement stages.

Discovery

The discovery phase allows spouses to obtain detailed information from each other about marital assets, income, custody and any other relevant issues. Information is gathered through written interrogatories, document requests and depositions. During discovery, the spouses may request temporary orders for child support or alimony.

Settlement

Judges encourage spouses to reach an agreement before the final court date. The judge may order the spouses to go to mediation, in which a third party attempts to help them negotiate unresolved issues. If the spouses are unable to come to an agreement, the discovery phase will continue and the case scheduled for court.

Trial

During your divorce trial, each side will call witnesses, cross-examine the other side’s witnesses and make closing arguments. The judge will hear both sides and make a decision regarding all issues.

Contact Experienced Suffolk County Divorce Attorney Shawn Kassman

If you have Divorce related questions, or want more information about a Contested Divorce, please call Suffolk County Divorce Lawyer Shawn Kassman or a member of his legal team at 631-232-9479 (toll-free 888-545-2944) or fill out our online intake form. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and represent clients located in Central Islip (main office location), Holtsville (office location), Bayshore, Brentwood, Oakdale, Sayville, Port Jefferson and Riverhead and both Suffolk and Nassau counties.