Ending a marriage already is a complicated process, and there are several ways to do it. In Ohio, there are three options: divorce, dissolution, and legal separation. Vernau Law LLC, an experienced family law firm in Granville, OH, can advise you about your options and help you determine the best method for your situation.

Dissolution is the process with the least court involvement. You and your spouse have to petition the court together to end your marriage and must have agreed upon terms of your separation. The court will look over your agreement and, if there are no problems, dissolve your marriage without assigning fault or requiring further involvement. However, if you and your spouse can’t agree on terms, you cannot file for dissolution and instead must choose divorce or legal separation.

In a divorce, the spouse who petitions the court must claim and later prove the grounds for the request. Among the valid reasons are abuse, adultery, bigamy, abandonment, and neglect. If one spouse alleges incompatibility and the other does not dispute the claim or you have lived separately for a year or more, it’s grounds for a no-fault divorce.

A legal separation can be the precursor to divorce or stand on its own. The latter situation often is the case when at least one spouse has a moral objection to divorce or spouses want to maintain the legal responsibilities of marriage while ending the marital relationship. As with divorce, one party must file the request and both spouses have to agree to terms or have them dictated by the court. A legal separation also is used in Ohio when the parties have not met the state’s six-month residency requirement to file for divorce.

You’re under a lot of pressure during a divorce, but Vernau Lau LLC will do everything possible to smooth the process. To schedule a consultation, call (740) 587-2637 or contact them on their website, where you’ll find information about their family law and estate planning services.