Parties in the middle of a divorce often long for that light at the end of the tunnel when they can finally say that it is over!  Although it may seem like you will never reach the end, everyday parties are finalizing their divorce judgments and moving on with their lives.  Once a divorce judgment has been entered with the court there are several steps that must happen at the conclusion of a case to ensure that all items are appropriately wrapped up.  If you have any additional questions or concerns regarding the end of your case, you should contact your attorney immediately.

Typically, the first thing that an attorney will do once your dissolution matter is finalized and judgment has been entered is prepare and file a Notice of Withdrawal of Attorney of Record with the court.  This document simply lets the court and other party know that you are no longer represented by an attorney.  This document also protects you and requires that any documents be served on you personally. However, this by no way means that you can never retain the same, or a different attorney again.  Quite often parties must re-retain their attorney for post-judgment matters such as a modification of child or spousal support.  Another example would be if the party needed the attorney to assist with the execution of certain terms in the judgment.  Regardless of the issue, filing a notice of withdrawal in no way impacts your ability to re-retain an attorney down the road.

The next step would be to collect your original documents from your attorney, if any exist.  It is important to let your attorney know if their office still has your original documents.  For example, once our firm withdraws from a case we will send the case file to an offsite storage facility where it will be stored for at least 5 years.

Once your divorce is final, you must also remember to review and/or update your estate planning documents, such as your will or trust.  It is important to remember to do this, and our office can direct you to a quality estate planning attorney if you do not already have one.

The end of a divorce case can be emotional and joyful all at the same time.  It is important that your case is wrapped up properly so that you are able to move on with your life.  Having an experienced family law attorney is imperative to ensure all aspects of your case are done properly.

 

Feel Free to Contact Our Office with Any Questions

858-793-8884