One of the most intimidating aspects of any litigation, may it be family law, personal injury or real estate law, is the terminology and the legal language of a case. Some people actually avoid consulting with an attorney or pressing their (potentially legitimate) case because of the feared complication involved. Well, today, we want to help dispel some of that fear by going over some basic terms and vocabulary involved in family law cases.

First, you’ve probably heard of an annulment before. This is where a marriage is completely and legally dissolved, as if it never happened. However, annulments are only granted under certain circumstances. This “dissolving” is called the dissolution of a marriage. There is also legal separation, which sees both spouses living separately and under the terms set forth by a court — but the couple is still legally married.

Maintenance refers to any type of financial support provided by one former spouse to another. Usually this is referred to in terms of spousal support (which is often called alimony).

An uncontested divorce occurs when one spouse does not contest the divorce that was filed by the other spouse. Usually this means that the parties involved in the uncontested divorce have an agreement in place before going to court. This agreement should be in writing to ensure it is enforced properly and accepted by the court.

If you have any other questions about family law or you are in need of an attorney in light of a divorce, consider The Stange Law Firm.