The divorce process can be lengthy, but a family can start experiencing changes as soon as the divorce is filed. Your spouse may decide to move out right away and suddenly, you have to worry about how to pay the bills and care for the children without their income. There may even be concern over whether your spouse will take your child somewhere and refuse to let you see them.
Fortunately, a status quo order can be issued by the Alabama courts once the divorce complaint is filed and served on the defendant. The status quo order states that the parties should continue to support the children and generally maintain the family lifestyle while the divorce is in progress.
A status quo order can prevent a spouse from:
- Failing to financially support the children
- Disposing of or selling marital assets
- Making changes to financial accounts or insurance
- Failing to pay mortgage or other household bills
- Keeping the children away from the other parent or relocating with the child
Benefits of “status quo” order
Generally, the purpose of a status quo order serves as a way to keep things as they are until the divorce is finalized.
Divorce can be tumultuous for everyone involved, particularly the children. Custody and visitation issues in particularly can take a lot of time to resolve. A status quo order can bring some stability to a family during this uncertain time and prevent divorcing spouses from acting irrationally. Children will be able to maintain some semblance of normalcy, as they will maintain their everyday routines and continue to spend time with both parents.
Another benefit of a status quo order is that they can be issued as soon as the complaint is filed and can be enforced as soon as the divorce complaint is served on the defendant.
Once a status quo order is officially in place, both parties are legally obligated to abide by the order. If a spouse violates the order, they are in contempt, and the other spouse can take them to court to have the order enforced.
A family law attorney can assist with your divorce
Maintaining the status quo during the divorce process can protect you and your children during an emotional and difficult time. A divorce attorney in the Mobile area can ensure that a status quo order is implemented as soon as possible to maintain stability until your issues are resolved.