Going through a divorce can be an extremely difficult time in your life. Once the decision to divorce has been made, the first step you should take is to find an attorney to represent you. Here at Hillyard, Anderson, & Olsen, our team of Family Law attorneys are experienced and ready to help. In an effort to ensure the process goes as smooth as possible, we’re sharing some basic terms you should understand during this time in your life.

Alimony – The financial payments made to help support a spouse or former spouse during separation or following a divorce. This is also often called spousal support or spousal maintenance.

Arrearage – This is the amount of money that is past due when it comes to child support and/or alimony.

Decree – This is the court’s written order or decision which finalizes the divorce. You’ll need this to take care of things such as legally changing your last name if you decide to do that.

Default – This happens when one person fails to answer a petition for divorce. Failing to answer or appear in court as required can result in the court awarding everything requested by the filing spouse.

These are just a few important terms of the many that you should know if you’re going through a divorce. Having an attorney represent you can help you immensely in navigating this difficult time in your life.

If you’re considering mediation, Lyle Hillyard is experienced and available to assist you in this. Give our office a call to schedule your consultation with him at 435-752-2610.