Call: 256.599.4113 or 256.686.1147 | Email: jwatson@jwatsonlaw.com
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.
Every divorce is unique. 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 as the legal choices made at the beginning of a divorce often have lasting and irreversible impact.
Finally, 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 cannot always be resolved by agreement. Often times, one spouse opposes the divorce, or the parties cannot agree on the division of marital property or how to settle custody of children. These types of disagreements require the divorce be litigated before a Judge. When a fight looms on the horizon, call us. 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.
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. Mr. Watson meets with you, listens to you, and drafts your agreement himself, usually in less than a week.
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.