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Family Court: Key Decisions Made on a Fast Track

From the Nolo.com Divorce & Child Custody Center

What to expect if you go to court over a divorce or other family matter.

Typical lawsuits take months, if not years, to make it to court. But if you're getting divorced and need a quick decision from a judge about who gets the kids, the car or the house, obviously you can't wait that long.

You don't have to. When couples separate, important issues are often resolved in a short hearing before a judge, not a full-scale trial. These hearings are usually held in a special court, called family court in most states.

Commonly, these quick hearings are less formal than standard court hearings, and less intimidating. But their brevity means that you must be prepared and know exactly what you want: you may have only a few minutes to ask for it.

Temporary Orders

What kind of issues come up before and during the divorce process? Let's say a husband moves out, and the wife who's left behind needs money to feed and shelter their children. She, realizing that she would starve long before a full trial could be held, is desperate for help. She can go to court to request a temporary order from a judge, even though a formal divorce action has not yet been filed. Her request will be put on a fast track, and a hearing scheduled within days or weeks.

Spouses can also ask a court to temporarily:

order (restrain) a spouse from coming near or contacting the other (or, if he hasn't already done so, to move out of the family home)
establish child custody and visiting arrangements
provide for spousal support (alimony) payments
order either spouse not to sell valuable assets, or
give possession of the family home or car to one of the spouses.

These temporary orders are usually valid until the court holds another hearing or until the spouses arrive at their own long-term settlement through negotiation or mediation.

Who Goes, Who Stays and What to Do

No matter who moves out of the house, it's best that one of you go to court that same business day -- or the next day at the latest -- to quickly resolve any critical issues. If you're staying with the children, you should immediately file for custody and child support. This accomplishes two things. First, you will be awarded the proper amount of child support and the court will acknowledge that you live with the children -- most likely granting physical custody right off the bat. Second, your spouse cannot successfully claim that the children were kidnapped. He or she may raise such a claim, but when you arrive with proof that you filed for custody and child support, the court will most likely dismiss it.

How to Ask

To get a court order, you must prepare and file some paperwork. Fill-in-the-blank forms may be available free from the court, or you may have to type them up yourself. In a few states -- unfortunately, not many -- court personnel may be available to help with the paperwork.

Here's what you'll probably need:

A request for the court order you want. In some states, the forms you need are called an Application for Order to Show Cause (OSC) and the Order to Show Cause itself. An Order to Show Cause is a simple, fill-in-the-boxes legal form or short typed legal document that sets out what you are asking for -- for example, a temporary child support order. It tells (orders) your spouse to come to court at a specific date and time and explain (show cause) why the court should not grant this request.
A supporting declaration -- a written statement under penalty of perjury, setting out facts that legally justify the issuance of the temporary order -- for example, the need for money to support children. You can also submit declarations of other people who have first-hand knowledge of the facts.
A proposed temporary order granting you the relief requested. This order will be signed by the family court judge if she grants the relief you request.
A proof of service -- a document that proves to the court that the papers have been properly delivered to your spouse.

Your Minute in Court

Your next step is to attend the court hearing to consider your request, which in emergencies can be held within a few days. In legal jargon this is often called an "order to show cause hearing."

The hearing may be held in a courtroom or just in the judge's office. The judge may listen to a few minutes of testimony from you, your spouse, and possibly other witnesses, or may only accept written evidence. To support a request for temporary child support, you would probably need to produce an income and expense budget.

Either way, the judge will:

review the details of the requests and the underlying facts
possibly ask you some questions
ask your spouse, if present, for his or her side of the story, and
in child support cases, refer to published state guidelines on recommended support, given factors such as each spouse's income and who has primary custody of the kids.

Often this kind of hearing takes less than 20 minutes. At its conclusion, the judge will likely make an immediate ruling, usually either issuing the requested temporary order or modifying it somewhat. If more information is needed, or your spouse wasn't given the proper notice before the hearing, the judge may issue an order that is effective only until another hearing can be held.

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