Divorce Definitions

Domestic Violence Petition This form serves as your application for a protective order; after obtaining one from the courthouse clerk, completing and returning it, it will be reviewed by a judge. Orders of Notice Notice ordered by the court requiring the party who filed for divorce to ensure that the other party is served by a sheriff with copies of the "Petition for Divorce". Annulment The legal dissolution of a marriage. In an annulment, the marriage is treated as though it never existed. Paternity The determination of who the father of a child is in order to arrange child custody and child support in the event of a divorce. Alimony A payment made by one spouse to another pending divorce or separation. Lump-Sum Alimony Lump-sum alimony or alimony in gross refers to alimony that is a fixed payment that generally will be made regardless of circumstances that would be a basis for termination of other types of alimony. Uncontested Divorce A divorce where both parties are able to make a mutually agreed-upon arrangement. Buccal Swab A recognized form of genetic testing used to determine paternity, which involves a q-tip type instrument for collecting saliva from individuals submitting to testing. Reasonable visitation A form of visitation in which the parents work out a schedule of visitation for the non-custodial parent. Supervised visitation A form of visitation in which an adult supervisor must be present when the child is visiting with the non-custodial parent.

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	Did You Know?
	An annulment is a court ruling that a supposed marriage was never valid. One of the most common grounds for annulment is fraud. For example, one person may have not disclosed to the other a prior divorce, a criminal record, or an unwillingness to have sexual intercourse. An annulment also may be granted may if one of the parties to the "marriage” was still married to someone else at the time of the marriage that is at issue. Other bases for annulments include marriage of an underage person, marriage to too close a blood relative, and marriage by a person under duress as the time of marriage.