Even the most amicable divorces may take some time to get through the process. You still need to negotiate and agree on the various items that will be presented in your final divorce decree. If you are involved in a contested divorce, everything becomes significantly more complicated and you may need to adjust your expectations accordingly.
Contested divorces are often give and take
Many people enter the divorce process with a list of priorities and goals they hope to achieve, along with areas in which they do not wish to compromise. However, it’s important to remember that divorce is almost never a “winner-take-all” scenario. Divorce courts and the divorce process are set up in such a way that the results are mostly fair and equitable to both parties.
In many cases, neither spouse is going to be completely satisfied with decisions reached by the court in a contested divorce, as they are not going to get everything they wanted. You can avoid some disappointment by being realistic about your prospects.
This means having a sense of the processes and standards the courts use to make decisions. In child custody cases, for example, the standard is to create a situation that’s in the “best interest of the child,” not necessarily what’s in the best interest of either parent. Just because you think you are a better parent than your former partner does not mean you’re going to have full custody. It’s presumed that it is in the child’s best interest to have a meaningful relationship with both parents, except in some unusual circumstances.
Ultimately, any good divorce attorney will help you remain level headed throughout the process and give you a reasonable idea of what you can expect. To secure sound legal counsel for your upcoming divorce, meet with an experienced Minnesota family law attorney at Appelhof, Pfeifer & Hart, P.A.
