North Canton Divorce Lawyers

There are two ways to end a marriage in Ohio — dissolution and divorce. The former does not require either spouse to assert fault for the union’s failure. The latter option, on the other hand, requires that at least one of the parties claim that the other satisfies a fault-based statutory ground for divorce, which includes adultery, cruelty, or willful absence for more than a year.

Because it is often less expensive and less acrimonious, many couples choose to file for a dissolution of marriage, or a no-fault divorce, although this is not always possible. However, whichever option separating spouses choose, the parties will be required to grapple with a wide range of complicated issues, such as alimony, property division, and if the couple had children, child support and the division of parenting time. For these reasons, it is critical that those who have decided to end their marriage speak with our experienced North Canton divorce lawyers who are well-versed in these issues.

Dissolution vs. Divorce

Many Ohio couples who decide to end their marriages choose to do so via dissolution, which eliminates a significant amount of the expense and process of divorce. This is largely due to the fact that unlike divorce, dissolution proceedings do not involve allegations of fault, and for this reason, are often referred to as no-fault divorces. Furthermore, dissolution petitions, unlike their divorce counterparts, do not need to be filed with a court until both parties have reached an agreement on all divorce-related legal matters, including:

• How marital assets will be divided;
• Whether one party will be required to pay spousal support;
• Who will be responsible for paying off certain debts;
• How court and attorney’s fees will be divided;
• How parental responsibility and parenting time will be divided; and
• Which party will pay child support and in what amount.

When an agreement on these issues is reached and filed with the court, a judge will schedule a hearing within three months, at which point, both parties will need to testify that they:

• Are satisfied with the agreement and signed it voluntarily;
• Fully disclosed all of their assets and liabilities; and
• Both wish the marriage to be dissolved.

Once approved by the court, a judge will issue a final decree of dissolution, effectively ending the parties’ marriage. Couples who choose to file for divorce, however, will need to litigate divorce-related issues in the presence of a judge, who will then be tasked with making determinations on child support, parenting time, alimony, and property division. For this reason, divorce proceedings often take much more time to resolve than dissolution proceedings.

Call Today for Help with Your Own Divorce

Whether you and your spouse have decided to file for divorce, or are attempting to dissolve your marriage, you need the advice of an experienced attorney. To learn more about how knowledgeable North Canton divorce lawyers can help you, please contact the dedicated legal team at Fout Law by phone or online message today.