Divorce Law Basics

Divorce Law Basics is a practical introduction to the legal, financial, and procedural issues that shape divorce in the United States. This course helps students understand how Divorce Law works, what courts consider during a case, and how major decisions about property, support, children, and settlements are typically approached.

Build A Practical Foundation In Divorce Law

• Learn the core legal concepts behind marriage, separation, annulment, and divorce.
• Understand how jurisdiction, residency, court filings, service, and temporary orders affect a divorce case.
• Explore key financial issues, including marital property, separate property, debt division, valuation, taxes, and financial disclosure.
• Gain practical insight into custody, parenting plans, child support, spousal support, settlement, courtroom practice, and post-divorce enforcement.

Divorce Law Basics provides a structured overview of the legal rules, financial considerations, and court procedures involved in divorce cases.

This course begins with the foundations of Law as it applies to divorce, including the role of state Law, the difference between separation and divorce, and the legal meaning of annulment. Students will learn how divorce cases begin, why residency and venue matter, and how no-fault divorce, contested divorce, uncontested divorce, default divorce, and collaborative divorce differ in practice.

From there, the course explains the procedural steps that shape a divorce case, including petitions, responses, service of process, initial filings, temporary orders, financial disclosures, discovery, and evidence gathering. Students will also examine how courts address housing, expenses, support, and custody while a case is pending.

The financial portion of the course covers property and debt issues in detail, including marital property, separate property, commingling, equitable distribution, community property principles, asset valuation, retirement accounts, business interests, debt division, tax concerns, and financial risk. The course also introduces major family Law topics involving children, such as custody standards, the best interests of the child, parenting plans, visitation, relocation, decision-making authority, child support guidelines, deviations, and enforcement.

Students will also study spousal support, alimony, maintenance, negotiation, mediation, settlement agreements, consent orders, trial preparation, hearings, witnesses, final judgments, domestic violence, protective orders, safety considerations, modifications, enforcement, appeals, and legal ethics. By the end of Divorce Law Basics, students will be better prepared to understand the legal process, recognize the issues that influence divorce outcomes, and approach divorce-related questions with greater clarity and practical confidence.