What will be decided in a Nevada divorce?
The Final Four won’t be decided and the next presidential election won’t be decided in your divorce, but many important issues will be finalized as your marriage comes to a formal, legal end in a Nevada courtroom. What will be decided? Most important if you have children will be issues of custody, visitation and child support.
Also to be decided: how your property will be divided (including debts), and whether spousal support will be awarded. Perhaps the scariest part of what can be an intimidating personal and legal process is that if you and your spouse cannot come to agreement on these issues, a Clark County judge will decide the final resolution of these matters before the court. Even lawyers that do not specialize in family law are confused about the broad discretion afforded judges in family law matters. It is imperative that each diiovrcing person seek at least a full consultation with a divorce lawyer before embarking upon settlement negotiations with their spouse, or litigating the matter in family court. There is no one that will not learn vaualbe information from the experience of a seasoned practitioner.
Clark County and the Family Courts and Services Center in Las Vegas team up with a nonprofit organization to offer an informational website. While the site has some useful information, it also has the look of a 1990s website and the feel of dipping your toe in a deep pool. It’s nice to get a toe wet, but you need to immerse yourself in the law, procedures and process in order to get through the divorce process successfully — especially with children and custody issues involved and with property to be divided.
The county’s and Family Court’s website rightly notes that the very first order of business in a divorce involving kids is to settle all matters regarding custody, visitation and child support. While these issues are often the most contentious and most emotionally difficult to resolve, it can be done with the help of an attorney experienced in protecting parental rights and above all, safeguarding the best interests of your child.
When those issues are resolved, you and the court can move on to property division (which includes debt division). Again, this can be a contentious issue that often involves analysis of finances, cash flow, income, debt and allocation of assets. The process begins with a detailed discussion with your family law attorney.
