huju…………
There are those couples who enter marriage counseling because they are experiencing problems in their marriage. Counseling does not resolve the issues and they divorce.
Then there are those couples who reach the judge for dissolution of marriage….the end of the divorce process and are asked ‘did you undergo marriage counseling?’ If they answer no, they are sent to family relations in the courthouse to arrange for counseling and the divorce is put on hold.
I did not (nor did the speaker at the APA seminar) include this second type of couple in the observation.
Competent family law attorneys will ask the prospective divorce client if they have gone to counseling with their spouse. If the prospective client is the one seeking the divorce, they are told to come back after counseling if they still want to start the process. If it is the spouse being sued for divorce, they are told that they will be required to undergo marriage counseling before a divorce is granted.
Anecdotal evidence from years in the courthouses, the vast majority of those sent by the judge to family relations to arrange counseling (instead of the divorce being granted) are those couple not represented by counsel.
CT procedure has a minimum 90 day period for a divorce. Those with less than $35,000 in assets, who have no children and don’t own real estate in an uncontested divorce can fast track to a 35 day divorce.
If you have minor children and will have any type of custody or visitation after the divorce you are required to attend parenting classes.