Getting a divorce is a complex and stressful process that requires a family lawyer to represent your best interests. It's important to work with a lawyer who can protect your interests while helping you resolve disputes and move forward with your life.
If you have been considering divorce or have been served with a divorce petition, Bryan Stratton — an aggressive family lawyer in Oklahoma City — can help.
With an excellent reputation as a family lawyer, Bryan Stratton provides quality legal representation handling:
- Child Custody & Visitation
- Child Support
- Division of Property
- Division of Marital Debts
- Spousal Support (Alimony)
The Process
What Is the Divorce Process?
- Filing the Petition. A divorce is initiated when one spouse files a Petition and serves the other party, filed in the District Court of the county where the filer resides.
- Service of process. The Petition and related pleadings must be served on the other spouse. Where both parties are cooperating, arrangements can be made for the other spouse to pick up the documents directly, saving cost and avoiding embarrassment.
- Automatic temporary injunction. Filing triggers an injunction that prohibits removing children from Oklahoma, selling property without consent, incurring new debt against property, or canceling insurance coverage for the other spouse.
- Response period. The Respondent must file a formal Response within twenty days of service.
- Settlement or trial. If the parties reach agreement, the terms are prepared as a Settlement Agreement (or Stipulated Order) and approved by the court as a Judgment. The earliest marital status can be terminated is ten days from the date the Petition was filed.
Contested vs. Uncontested
Two Paths Through an Oklahoma Divorce
A divorce in Oklahoma is uncontested if you and your spouse agree on the major issues, and contested if you do not agree and require resolution by the court.
Common Mistakes
- Taking friends' advice without consulting a divorce lawyer
- Entering into agreements without checking with an attorney
- Avoiding or procrastinating the divorce, which can allow a spouse to strategically plot asset distribution, diminish property value, or affect the status quo in custody cases
Common Myths
- "Men never get the kids."
- "If you sell the house, you'll get half."
- "A divorce attorney will cost too much money."