by Elayne B. Kesselman, Esq.

What happens after I retain a lawyer? What happens after my spouse discovers I have hired a lawyer? How long does it take to get a divorce? What happens if my spouse and I cannot resolve the issues? What is an action? How is an action started? Does it matter if I am the plaintiff/petitioner or the defendant/respondent? Am I better off in Family Court than in Civil Court? What happens after an action is commenced? My husband and I agree we want to be divorced, but we can't agree on anything else. Do we still have to commence an action? What happens after the parties exchange the Complaint/Petition, Answer and Reply? What is a motion? What kinds of issues are usually raised in motions? What exactly does the motion consist of? When deciding motions, how does the judge know who to believe? Can I get my spouse to move out of the house while I am waiting for a trial date? How long does it take a judge to decide a motion? What is an order? Can I appeal an unfavorable order? Are motions the only way immediate issues can be resolved? How should I act at a conference? Won't the same judge always be involved in my case? What if I don't like the judge? How do I prepare for a trial? What happens at the trial? Who are the witnesses who testify at a trial? How does the judge decide who is telling the truth? How does the judge decide who should get which assets? How does the judge decide how much support a spouse should get and for how long the support should be paid? How does the judge decide who gets custody of the children? What is joint custody? How does the judge decide a visitation schedule? How does the judge decide how much child support must be paid? How does the judge decide who has to pay legal fees? Can the judge's decision be appealed? How much could an appeal cost? What if I lose on appeal?

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