That depends. In some situations, the first person to file has a choice of more than one court. In that case, your lawyer may have a preference about which court would be best for you. Otherwise, it doesn't usually matter who files first. Since Arizona is a no-fault state you do not need to have any "grounds" for filing, but must merely state that the marriage is irretrievably broken. Before knowing what the issues will be and what might happen under the law and the facts of the case, no one wants to take the chance of asking for too little. So people tend to ask for more than they really expect. Like when you read in the newspaper that someone has filed a "10 million dollar lawsuit", what is demanded in the Petition or Complaint usually has little real meaning.
Most divorce cases are settled.
Generally the court is not concerned with your private life. However, dating someone else may anger your spouse and impede settlement. If you have children, you should get some professional advice about how much your children should know about your love life.
There are at least two possible reasons why you shouldn't. You may have to pay back the money when the property is divided. And your spouse may be very angry. That anger could lead to distrust that could complicate the divorce proceedings.
That depends on a lot of things. Every divorce is different. Factors that can make a difference include the schedules of both parties, both lawyers and the court, the cooperation of witnesses, the speed of the appraisers, and the complexity of the case. In Arizona it will take a minimum of approximately three months, and that is if both parties agree on all of the issues at the onset of the case. -- The Law Offices of Carrie L. Voegtli |