Divorce Definitions

Abandonment When a parent leaves a child without enough care, supervision, support, or parental contact for an excessive period of time. Child Support An amount of money under a court or administrative order that is due and owed by the non-custodial parent for the support of the parent's child(ren). Legal Separation A court order arranging the terms (custody, support, etc.) under which a married couple will live separately. This addresses the same issues as divorce, but does not completely dissolve the marriage. Mediation A non-adversarial process in which a neutral third party acts to encourage and help disputing parties reach a mutually acceptable agreement. May not be a good option when domestic violence is present. Reasonable visitation A form of visitation in which the parents work out a schedule of visitation for the non-custodial parent. Custodial parent The parent who has physical custody of the children. Temporary alimony A type of alimony payment that is made to one spouse pending separation or divorce proceedings. Uncontested Divorce A divorce where both parties are able to make a mutually agreed-upon arrangement. No-Fault Divorce Many states now permit "no-fault" divorces. No fault" divorce describes any divorce where the spouse suing for divorce does not have to prove that the other spouse did something wrong. All states allow divorces regardless of who is at "fault." Annulment The legal dissolution of a marriage. In an annulment, the marriage is treated as though it never existed.

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	Did You Know?
	In divorce actions, mediators often are involved in custody and visitation disputes. In some jurisdictions (particularly large urban areas), courts require mediation of custody and visitation disputes. The mother and father must talk with a court-appointed mediator to try to resolve the problem before putting their case before a judge. The mediator cannot force a resolution, but the parties can be told to try mediation before coming to court to ask a judge to decide the issue.