Whether you made the decision to divorce, your spouse made it or it was by mutual consent, you now have a whole lot of decisions about the future that need to be made.
In the meantime, you have to keep your household running, and that means that bills need to be paid, groceries have to be bought and the kids need to be picked up from school on time. How do you keep everything around you intact when your marriage is falling apart?
This is where temporary orders come into play
Temporary relief orders are generally requested when a divorce petiton is filed (or when the other spouse responds to the petition), although they can be requested at any time before the divorce is over.
In essence, temporary orders are orders from the court that govern how one or more issues in a divorce will be handled pending either a voluntary agreement between the couple or the final divorce decree. Temporary orders can:
- Determine who gets exclusive possession of what property, including the house or certain vehicles, while the divorce is pending
- Prohibit both parties from using up (wasting) any marital assets or making any major financial changes while the divorce is ongoing
- Prohibit any changes to life insurance policies or health insurance plans during this period of time
- Establish a custody and visitation schedule for any minor children and determine where those children will live for the time being
- Resolve any disputes about which parent will direct the children’s medical care, religious instruction and education
- Determine whether or not one party will need to provide financial support to the other or for the care of any minor children
- Establish how the household bills are to be paid if one party is remaining in the family home for now and the other is not
In short, temporary orders help you achieve a “soft landing” after a split by giving you time to adjust your vision of the future and make other plans.
Going through a divorce can be difficult, but you don’t have to do it alone. Experienced legal guidance can help you avoid major problems.
