LGBTQ Divorce Lawyer in Pittsburgh

Going through a divorce can be the most traumatic and challenging phase of anyone's life, especially for LGBTQ couples. They likely face additional hurdles navigating the legal system as it's evolving for them.

If you're a same-sex couple experiencing challenges in your marriage and considering divorce in Pittsburgh, reach out to us to discuss your situation.

Our LGBTQ divorce lawyer in Pittsburgh understands the complexities of LGBTQ divorce and the specific challenges you likely face. They have a proven track record of helping same-sex couples with separation and dissolution of marriage while protecting their best interests.

What Makes LGBTQ Divorce More Challenging

LGBTQ divorce is relatively new in the eyes of the law. Therefore, it doesn't have many precedent cases with a less established legal framework to guide the process, unlike heterosexual divorce.

Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges and legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015. It provided the LGBTQ community with equal rights in society and recognized their relationships. However, before the Supreme Court ruling, the federal district court ruling in Whitewood v Wolf legalized same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania.

Before 2014, there was no legal concept of gay marriage in Pittsburgh. Instead, Pennsylvania put a ban on same-sex marriage. Same-sex couples used to form a civil union. Therefore, same-sex marriages have only been legal for a few years, and there aren't many case laws to guide LGBTQ divorces.

Apart from that, everything is the same in same-sex divorce as it is in heterosexual divorce. LGBTQ couples have the same rights and duties as heterosexual couples while navigating divorce.

What Are Your Options for Divorce as an LGBTQ Couple in Pittsburgh?

The law categorizes divorce into two parts:

• Contested divorce
• Uncontested divorce

The choice between contested and uncontested divorce depends on your circumstances, particularly the level of conflict with your partner.

Contested Divorce

A contested divorce is for spouses who have high emotions and disagree on multiple issues of post-marriage arrangements. In other words, you disagree with your partner on the terms of divorce; therefore, you are contesting on issues like:

• Child custody
• Child support
• Alimony
• Division of property, assets, and debts

If you disagree with your partner on any of these issues, file your divorce petition with the Allegheny County Department of Court Records and serve its copy to your partner. Your partner will have 20 days to respond to your divorce petition. If they don't respond, the court may grant them 20 more days to respond to the petition and present their side of the case.

However, if they still don't respond, the court will likely proceed with the divorce process, and they will lose the opportunity to contest the divorce. The Hearing officer will grant both spouses divorce, deciding the issues. Consequently, they have to abide by the decisions the Hearing officer made.

On the other hand, you may have received divorce paper from your spouse. If so, contact us today. As mentioned above, you only have a limited time to respond and contest the divorce. Our experienced LGBTQ divorce lawyer can file your reply that serves your best interests.

Uncontested Divorce

Uncontested divorce is an option for those spouses who don't have high conflict and can agree on any issues of their marriage working together. Both spouses can file their joint divorce petition to get an uncontested divorce.

Having an experienced divorce attorney by your side is always a good idea for a smooth process and ending the marriage on fair terms for both parties.

Methods to Resolve Contested Divorce Issues in Pittsburgh

Mediation

Mediation is a popular method for resolving contesting issues between spouses. In mediation, both spouses work together to resolve their issues. The mediator facilitates communication and negotiation between the spouses, assisting them in reaching a mutual agreement. It works where parties aren't filled with high emotions and are willing to cooperate.

Collaborative Divorce

It's another method where parties work together to resolve contested divorce issues. However, they have their attorneys with them throughout the process to guide them and protect their best interests. Additionally, it may involve other experts, such as financial analysts or therapists to assist in the process. It works well where parties are rife with high emotions and have long-standing conflicts but still have room to cooperate and negotiate.

Trial

The last option is to go to trial and seek court intervention to resolve issues between spouses. It usually occurs when a child is involved. When same-sex parents have high conflict and have no room to cooperate or negotiate, going to trial becomes necessary to reach a resolution.

Why Choose Very Law for Your LGBTQ Divorce in Pittsburgh?

Apart from having a proven track record of helping many same-sex couples in Pittsburgh with all family issues, whether contested divorce, uncontested divorce, or adoption, there are several other reasons to choose us:

• We understand the challenges gay and lesbian couples, as well as other same-sex couples, face while going through divorce.
• Besides fighting hard to protect your best interests, we make extra effort by taking care of little details. It includes promptly returning phone calls, providing an update on your case, and informing you about important meetings and court dates.
• Our LGBTQ divorce lawyer genuinely cares about every client and handles as much of the process as possible without requiring extensive involvement from you. So you can focus on moving on and taking care of yourself during this difficult time,

Our experienced LGBTQ lawyers have the experience and knowledge of same-sex family law you need to handle your divorce case.

Listen to what our past clients have to say:

We couldn't be happier with the work and wisdom they provided to our family. Thank you, Very Law . - Mike

Legal matters are not something you should have to experience, let alone in your 20s. The Very Law team made me feel safe, validated, and seen. I’m not someone who feels comfortable easily, and not one person allowed me to fall through the cracks. This Law Firm made such a big difference in my life. -Samantha

Don't go through this alone. Schedule a consultation with our compassionate LGBTQ+ divorce lawyers today and discuss your situation to explore your best options. For more information about our experienced family law lawyers, visit our family law lawyer page.