Has COVID-19 Impacted Your Divorce Process?
Coronavirus has taken the world by storm, and one of the things that have affected us badly is our relationships with loved ones. The quarantine situations have either improved or worsened the changes in many relationships. The question is: Has Covid-19 also impacted the divorce process for you? You need to stay at home due to the precautions against the pandemic, so you may wonder about the ways if you want to file for a divorce: How can you proceed? Luckily, you can continue with your divorce proceedings in certain conditions.
The Best Grounds for Filing a Divorce
You can file for your divorce as soon as you get separated from your spouse; however, remember that the process doesn’t just begin with the petition. You need to meet certain requirements. There are three different grounds for filing for divorce, including living separately from your spouse for a year, committing adultery by your spouse, and your spouse’s mentally and physically abusive behaviour. The best option for you to file for a divorce is to live apart from your spouse for at least a year.
Hearings in Court
Fortunately, courts are hearing cases for divorce if they are seen to be urgent. Whether your divorce case is critical or not is served by the court on a case by case situation. The judges in Ontario hear urgent cases through telephone calls or video conferences. If your divorce case involves issues, such as child custody or matrimonial home, it means your divorce proceedings should move on. Thus, you can go on with your divorce proceedings in the current pandemic only if you need to settle urgent matters with your spouse.
The Duration of the Divorce Process
You can file for uncontested divorce more easily than a contested divorce. An uncontested divorce process in the current pandemic will take several months for you to get settled. However, if you want to file for a contested divorce, you will need to wait for a year or more. The divorce proceedings are moving on in the Covid19 situation, but their duration has increased in the current situation. Every court puts the child’s best interest first while hearing a divorce petition, so the court usually does not take more time to settle disputes between the spouses involving matters related to the child.
Conclusion
Covid-19 has made a huge impact on all of our lives. The current pandemic is also one of the most challenging times to go for the divorce; it’s not perfect. However, Covid-19 has put loads of pressure on people, as they can’t meet their relatives in the way they were meeting in the past. Taking divorce has also become problematic for spouses who want to get separated by filing a contested or uncontested divorce. Lastly, if you live separately from your spouse for more than a year or need to settle child custody matters with your spouse through divorce, the court will be considering your proceedings quicker..
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