Divorce is one of the sad realities of the world we live in. No one goes into a marriage expecting to get divorced but, tragically, almost half of the marriages in our country end in divorce. It is a painful and frustrating process.

In addition to the emotional challenges, there are the legal challenges of dividing the couple’s property and debts. And, when children are involved, it is even more difficult since there are often battles about child custody.

Although the legal process of divorce is often complicated and exhausting, it doesn’t have to be. It is true that some cases require a spouse to stand firm and protect their rights, such as when the other spouse tries to run away with all of the property or acts in a way that may harm the children.

However, most people aren’t interested in a long drawn out legal battle, nor do they want to fight their spouse in court. Some couples have already decided how they want to divide their property or handle issues like child custody and spousal support.

In such cases, is there a way spouses can divorce while avoiding the conflict and expense of a long and protracted legal fight? The answer is, “Yes!” In Nevada, spouses can file a “joint petition” for divorce where they tell the court how they want to divide their property, how child custody will be handled, and how debts will be divided. Unless the joint petition is blatantly unreasonable, the judge will issue a decree of divorce consistent with the couple’s agreement.

A joint petition divorce is considerably less expensive than a contested divorce and is much quicker. Where disputed divorces often take a year or more, joint petition divorces can be completed in less than a month. In short, for spouses who have determined that divorce is their only option, a joint petition divorce is a low cost option that can enable them to move on with their lives sooner and prevent a bad situation from getting much worse.

Clifford Gravett is an attorney with the Virgin Valley law firm of Bingham Snow & Caldwell. He is licensed to practice in Nevada, Arizona and Utah. He can be reached at 702-346-7300, cliff@binghamsnow.com, or 840 Pinnacle Court, Suite 202 in Mesquite.