What is the difference between a contested and uncontested divorce?

A contested divorce is a court process where both spouses are unable to reach an agreement on how to settle issues such as division of property, alimony, custody and visitation, and other matters that arise during a divorce. In this type of divorce, the spouses must take their disagreements to a court of law, and a judge will make the final decision on how the issues should be addressed. An uncontested divorce is a simpler process than a contested divorce. It occurs when both spouses agree on all of the details of the divorce, such as division of property, alimony, child custody and visitation, and other matters. In an uncontested divorce, the parties can avoid going to court by submitting an agreement in writing to the court. This agreement needs to be signed by both spouses and approved by a judge before it can go into effect. In both types of divorce, spouses are still legally separated and the marriage is dissolved. However, the process for a contested divorce is more time-consuming and costly because the parties must have their cases heard in court. An uncontested divorce can be less expensive and stressful, and can be finalized in a shorter period of time.

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