The Pretrial Phase of the Divorce Process
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The Pretrial Phase of the Divorce Process

The Pretrial Phase of the Divorce Process

The pretrial phase of the divorce process is a significant step towards resolving your divorce. Many of the actions taken in the pretrial phase can have a lasting impact on your final divorce judgment. The period of time after you file for divorce and before you reach a settlement or go to trial is called the pretrial phase. In Latin, this is called the pendente lite portion of your case.

Once the parties have completed their initial discovery and have a clear understanding of the facts of the case, the Judge will schedule a pre-trial conference. The purpose of the pre-trial conference is to limit the issues, clarify the parties’ positions, and find as much middle-ground for settlement as possible.

In preparation for the pre-trial conference, the spouses must conduct a “4-way” meeting between both spouses and their attorneys. This meeting is mandatory, unless there is a restraining order in effect, and is meant to force everyone into the same room so they will have a rational discussion about their disagreements and see if there are any issues then can agree on.

After the 4-way meeting, you must prepare and file a pre-trial memorandum with the Court in preparation for the pre-trial conference. The pre-trial memorandum is an important opportunity to explain to the Judge your view of the evidence, your positions, and your arguments for how the Judge should rule.

During the pre-trial conference, the Judge will read through both pre-trial memoranda and try to help the parties come to an agreement by explaining the most likely outcome and rulings. If you are not able to agree, the Judge will limit the issues in dispute, schedule a trial date, and issue a pre-trial order with important deadlines and requirements for the upcoming trial.

If you have a question regarding Family Law in Los Angeles County please contact us at (818) 926-4420 or visit the Family Law section on our website at Law Offices of Anat Resnik. Call today and we will connect you with Anat Resnik, an experienced, aggressive, affordable Divorce and Family Law Attorney in Los Angeles County. After you have spoken with our Los Angeles County Family Law attorney, we can schedule you a free face to face appointment to discuss your circumstances. If you have questions or are considering any aspect of filing for Divorce, a Paternity issues, Child Custody and Visitation, Spousal Support & Alimony, etc. we can help! Call us now at(818) 926-4420. We look forward to hearing from you and assisting you with any and all family law needs.

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