Divorce

Divorces are personal, emotional, and have lasting consequences.  Attorney Jonathan D. Watson understands and provides his clients with compassionate, professional, and aggressive legal representation when they are confronted with a divorce.  Please consider the following information, which Mr. Watson has gathered in his years of experience, as you weigh your legal options.

Understanding the Nature and Complexity of Your Divorce

Every divorce is unique because a divorce touches on and impacts every facet of your personal life.  And, while one divorce may resolve smoothly and with little issue, another may be angrily and bitterly contested.  Understanding the legal nature of your particular situation is a vital first step of a divorce as the legal choices made at the beginning of a divorce often have lasting and irreversible impact.

Divorces often involve all areas of one's personal life including custody of children, the division of property such as a home and savings, alimony (spousal support), tax and debt liability, retirement accounts, and so on.  With so much at stake, the importance of early action cannot be overstated.

Contested Divorce

Divorces are not always friendly. Often times, one spouse opposes the divorce or the parties cannot agree on the division of marital property and/or how to settle custody of children.  These types of disagreements often require a Judge decide.  Mr. Watson is not intimidated by heated or contentious litigation. He uses his legal knowledge and experience to aggressively fight for what is important to you.

For more information on this complex area of the law, please see the Resources tab to the right. There you will find several links with information about the Contested Divorce process.

Uncontested Divorce

When both spouses agree that the marriage is beyond repair and there is no dispute over the division of marital property and/or the specifics of child custody, an Uncontested Divorce is possible.  This type of divorce avoids most of the expense of a Contested Divorce. 

Mr. Watson works quickly with both parties to execute the required paperwork and file the appropriate documents with the Court.  He carefully explains the entire process in a clear, professional manner.  He also realizes that money is often in limited supply at such times; as a result, he offers some of the most competitive rates in North Alabama -- usually a flat fee.  Finally, Mr. Watson meets with you, listens to you, and drafts your agreement himself - he does not rely on a paralegal or secretary to handle these vital tasks.

For more information, please see the following Uncontested Divorce Information Letter.

Legal Separation

For those who are not ready for the permanency of a divorce but must have some type of relief from their current situation, Alabama Law allows married parties to seek a "legal separation" whereby the trial court will effectively address and resolve all of the issues normally addressed in a divorce, but without the divorce.  This allows the parties to remain married and seek the repair of their marriage while living separately pursuant to the Court's Order.

Child Custody and Child Support

Child Custody and Child Support are often central issues in a divorce.  The importance of these issues requires they be given their own page.  Please see the "Child Support" page and/or "Child Custody" page of this website for in-depth information about these issues.