Walk It Through: The Split
180 days, the child's best interests, and a just and equitable division.
A pharmacist, married for years with one child, decides the marriage is over and asks what it takes to file.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
One marriage and one house. Default judgments, child support, and nonmarital property claims are not worked through here.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- Irretrievably brokenThe finding for a dissolution. If one spouse denies it under oath, the finding needs evidence of living apart for at least 180 days, or serious marital discord.
- Employment misconductIntentional, negligent or indifferent conduct that seriously violates the standards the employer has a right to expect, the only discharge that makes an applicant ineligible.
- MaintenanceSupport the court may order for a spouse who lacks enough property for reasonable needs or cannot provide adequate self-support. It may be transitional or indefinite.
- Marital propertyProperty the court divides justly and equitably without regard to marital misconduct, weighing each spouse's contribution, including as a homemaker.