Uncontested vs. Contested Divorce: What’s the Difference?

Almost 800,000 American couples make the decision to get divorced every year. But obviously, not all of them go about it in the same way.

There are what are called uncontested divorces and contested divorces. And as you’re going to quickly find out if you ever go through one or the other, they are very different.

If you’re getting ready to get a divorce, you should have a good understanding of uncontested vs. contested divorce. Regardless of whether you’re going to have an uncontested divorce or a contested divorce, it’ll prepare you for the process.

Here is what you should know about the differences between contested vs. uncontested divorce.

What Is an Uncontested Divorce?

Let’s start off the uncontested vs. contested divorce discussion by answering the question, “What is an uncontested divorce?”

An uncontested divorce is a divorce during which both parties are able to come to basic agreements on all of the key issues. From the initial reason for the divorce to the child support that one spouse will pay to another once a divorce is final, the two sides agree to everything in an uncontested divorce.

What Is a Contested Divorce?

Now that you know what an uncontested divorce is, let’s dive into answering the question, “What is a contested divorce?”

A contested divorce is, as you might guess, a divorce that features any number of disagreements between two parties. They call for soon-to-be-divorced couples to hash out their differences in court so that they’re both able to move on with their lives in the end.

What Are the Main Differences Between an Uncontested vs. Contested Divorce?

There are a bunch of big differences between uncontested and contested divorces. You need to know about them if you’re going to be going through the divorce process soon.

For starters, uncontested divorces tend to get finalized a lot sooner than contested ones. This is because they don’t call for couples to make multiple trips to a courtroom to appear before a judge in their case.

Uncontested divorces also usually cost less than contested ones. This is, again, because they’re easier to work out and don’t call for couples to spend hours and hours on end working with their lawyers.

You should know your options if you’re going to be getting a divorce soon. It’ll help you hire the right lawyer based on whether you’re going to have an uncontested divorce or a contested divorce.

Find Out More About Getting a Divorce Today

Getting a divorce is one of the most stressful things that you’ll ever go through. It’s why you should learn everything you can about doing it.

Outside of understanding the differences between an uncontested vs. contested divorce, you should also find out more about what you can expect while getting divorced. It’ll make everything a little easier on you and allow your divorce to get finalized sooner rather than later.

Get some tips on hiring the right divorce lawyer by browsing through the other legal articles found on our blog.