What if your spouse won’t cooperate with the divorce?

Divorce cases are often contentious and your spouse may disagree with you on many of the different terms. You could find yourself facing conflicts about how to divide your assets or who should have custody of the children. It is true that there are also amicable divorces where spouses will work together to split up. But things don’t always go that smoothly.

One of the biggest complications you can have is when your spouse just won’t cooperate with the process itself. Maybe they refuse to sign the divorce papers. Maybe they refuse to go to court hearings. Maybe they’re just trying to ignore all of your efforts to get divorced – as if they believe that that will stop the process and leave the marriage intact. What actually happens here?

You may need a default divorce

What may have to happen is that the court will rule that you can have a default divorce. This means that the terms you have asked for, as long as they are legal and approved by the court, are generally going to be accepted. Your spouse does not have any say in the matter because they are not part of the process any longer, and the divorce is simply granted to you.

In other words, this can make it take longer, and it can make it more frustrating, but you may wind up getting a better outcome than you anticipated. Additionally, it’s very important to know that your spouse cannot stop you from getting a divorce. If that is their goal, the default divorce option gives you the ability to end your marriage without their contribution.

A situation like this is likely to become very complicated. Take the time to look into all of the legal options that you have so you know exactly what steps to take.