Divorce is a complex process. Besides the appropriate authorities issuing you a divorce certificate, the court will also give you a final divorce decree once your divorce process is complete. Your divorce certificate is a simple document you’ll keep for your future reference and records. It is, therefore, important to understand how to read a divorce decree in case you come across it in the future.
A divorce decree has some details on how you and your spouse should proceed after the decree is official. The court will also issue you with a certificate for this decree. This certificate is different from your divorce certificate. Read this guide on understanding final decree of divorce to identify the differences. You will also learn how to read a divorce decree.
Understand When The Court Issues a Divorce Decree
Your DC divorce attorney can help you understand when the court issues you with a divorce decree. The court will issue you an official, signed copy after the judge signs off on the contents. Upon completing the preparation process and after agreeing with your spouse to part ways, you’ll submit a settlement to the court, and the court will take the case before the judge.
Therefore, to speed up your issuance of a divorce decree, you must give the DC judges all the evidence regarding child support, child custody, property sharing, debt distribution, and alimony. Your final divorce decree shall contain all these divorce-related elements. This decree will be a legally binding document and one that is taken seriously in court.
You must provide the court with a written settlement record, or you can verbally speak at the court, and both declare your agreement. The DC judge will then review your declaration, and when convinced it’s fair, the court will deliver the final divorce decree. Should any of you violate this final decree, then you’ll be answerable to the DC court.
Know When Your Divorce is Final?
Your DC divorce attorney can help you with understanding final decree of divorce and all that pertains to this particular court ruling. However, your divorce only becomes final when the court signs your divorce decree. After a few days, you shall receive this agreement. The certificate shall be issued to you by a divorce attorney.
Once you have the decree, you will be legally divorced from the date the DC judge signed the order. The final decree shall be clear on how you’ll share property, how each of you will spend time with the children, and how each of you shall contribute to child support.
Therefore, in case your ex-spouse shall not abide by the divorce decree, you can use this decree to sue them. This decree shall also be the reference document at the court should there be non-compliance from either of you on the court order.
A divorce certificate differs from a divorce decree. Therefore, always consult your DC divorce attorney for help on differentiating between these two documents. You can receive a divorce certificate once you both agree to divorce. However, receiving a final divorce decree from the court takes some time as the judges include essential details on the contract.
You’ll only be divorced after your divorce attorney certifies your decree and it gets signed by a DC judge. Your final ruling will bind you and your spouse to the contents of the decree, and any non-compliance could involve prosecution.
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