Haefner Law Office advocates for an amicable divorce process that satisfies all parties. We’ll ask: Can the marriage be saved?
If so, you should do everything you can to work through the issues. Haefner Law Office is happy to provide referrals to some of St. Louis’ top-tier marriage counselors for parties willing to try again. However, if you (or your spouse) feel the relationship has run its course, we will work with you to bring the marriage to a mutually beneficial end.
Several divorce terms can easily be confused with one another. Understanding the difference between a contested, uncontested, and mediated divorce is typically the first step when you begin filing for divorce.
An uncontested divorce is for families that have decided that the marriage is and have made a mutual decision to divorce. In an uncontested divorce, all matters have been agreed upon before beginning the process, leaving both parties to officially notify the Court of the union’s end.
Individuals in an uncontested divorce case want the divorce completed as quickly as possible and want the documents drafted by an expert. If both individuals stick to the agreed terms, it is likely they will never have to appear in Court.
A contested divorce means at least one matter, such as child custody or child support, is in dispute.
A mediated divorce, on the other hand, is similar to a contested divorce. However, in a mediated divorce, both parties agree they want a mediator to determine the outcome rather than a judge or Court.
We have done our best to help our clients see if they are able to get this done in the most efficient way possible. If you look at our Forms page on the website, you will see one called “Uncontested Divorce Checklist”. Fill out the checklist and see if you agree on everything. If so, congratulations! You can get this done fast, (relatively) cheap, and easy! If not, you might want to consider starting the matter as a contested matter and be more aggressive from the get-go.
If both parties are ready to pursue an uncontested divorce, call our office at (314) 200-6101 to set up a free telephone consultation. We’ll discuss your case to determine if an uncontested divorce is the best next step for your situation or if there are non-agreed-upon issues that could make your situation contested.
Suppose you decide to move forward with us. In that case, you will complete the appropriate forms: the Client Intake Sheet, the Statement of Income and Expenses, the Statement of Property, and the Uncontested Divorce Checklist. Once these forms are complete, a team member will meet with you onsite to review your case and sign our contract. Upon signing the contract, we officially represent you and begin your case.
Please keep in mind that we do not represent both husband and wife. There is an ethical conflict, which would be unfair to you or your spouse.
We will then email you all the documents for your approval. Once you have agreed that the documents are exactly how you would like them, you come to our office to sign ALL documents. We will file your case in the appropriate Court and contact your spouse when it’s time to come in and pick up the documents and/or sign all documents needed to finalize the divorce.
After 30 days have elapsed, we will submit the final documents to the Court for the judge’s signature. That’s it. Your case is done.
Should the judge require a hearing, we will set one and let you know when the hearing is scheduled. This type of hearing is usually short. Both you and your spouse would testify that you signed the Settlement Agreement and that you want to get divorced.
If your case evolves into a contested divorce, we’ll work with you every step of the way for a beneficial result. A new attorney/client agreement must be signed before we begin the work on a contested case. We use almost all the documents we drafted in the uncontested case to move forward, so you’re never starting from scratch.
Learn more about our Contested Divorce services here.
The first thing most people think about while searching for a local divorce lawyer is the costs of hiring an attorney. A divorce is one of the most challenging experiences you can endure, and we want to put your mind at ease from the start.
When hiring Haefner, you know what our divorce and family law services cost upfront. We don’t keep you in the dark or find ways to pile up our bills to maximize the amount of money we make. We offer flat rate divorce services combined with the highest level of expertise and understanding of Missouri’s divorce laws.
When you’re about to get divorced or you or your spouse has already initiated divorce proceedings, there are a lot of concerns that will likely begin flooding your mind. You will likely be required to make several decisions in a short period which can be both stressful and challenging.
Our St. Louis divorce lawyers help simplify these decisions by assisting our clients with details that must be addressed before proceeding
Uncontested divorces differ from the typical nasty and publicly contested ones on TV and in movies. In an uncontested divorce, both spouses agree on all terms and therefore do not require a lawyer to represent them in court. With an uncontested divorce, both parties negotiate directly with one another without outside interference. If you have an agreement with your partner about how to proceed, it is possible that you can avoid hiring an attorney altogether because there’s no real conflict involved.
An uncontested divorce is the most affordable way to end a marriage while avoiding high attorney fees. They are done much quicker than those requiring court involvement to settle disputes. Uncontested divorces are usually final and signed by a judge about 60 days after you have retained an attorney.
An uncontested divorce is where all issues have already been agreed upon, and you are simply hiring an attorney to draft up the agreement. Guidance is given only to the party who hired the attorney.
A mediated divorce is where both parties have the opportunity to have their questions answered, and not everything needs to be agreed upon before mediation.
If an uncontested divorce becomes a contested divorce, the attorney can remain to represent the party that hired them.
In a mediated divorce, if the matter is not resolved or becomes contested, the attorney withdraws from the representation of either party, and both parties hire new attorneys. However, a letter outlining any agreements will be provided to both parties to take to their attorneys, hopefully cutting down on issues that need to be litigated, saving time and money for everyone.
Haefner Law Office remains an expert in the field of family and divorce law. We help both parties avoid returning to court to fix mistakes by incorporating relevant and useful legal terms that help protect your needs and interests.
Our custom documentation reflects your family’s situation by considering the unique factors that shape your case. Only skilled attorneys can provide legal advice that will make it easy to comply with or modify your agreement in the future, if necessary.
Contact Haefner Law Office for more information about Uncontested Divorce or Flat Rates and to see if it is right for you and your family. Call us at (314) 200-6101.
Thank you again for considering Haefner Law Office to help you through this difficult time. We hope to hear from you soon.
With our flat rate legal services, Haefner Law Office, LLC has broken new ground with an affordable and comprehensive system. Our Flat Rate uncontested divorce services benefit clients with expert representation within their budget by allowing clients to only pay for the legal services they use during their case.
Do you and your spouse have an issue on which you would like a neutral party to make a judgment? Our divorce mediation services are an affordable solution to resolve contested matters that can be decided outside of court.
From mediation to litigation, clients can select and pay for relevant services necessary for their unique case. Because uncontested divorces can be as simple as filing the right documents, a flat rate option works best for all families’ timeframes and budgets.
