Trial

Even though temporary orders may have been entered for custody, visitation, child support, spousal support, and possibly other issues, at some point, if the parties do not otherwise come to a final agreement, a trial is held before a judge (no jury) which determines with finality all of the issues involved in the marital dissolution (or paternity action).

Because of the crowded court calendars, it is not unusual for the court to try and decide only certain issues at a time, and put the case over to a later date to try the rest of the issues. Most trials last less than a day, but, depending on the complexity of the case, a trial could last several weeks. Any "final" judgments relating to child custody, visitation, child support, and spousal support are subject to future modification if either party can demonstrate that there has been a substantial change of circumstances since the original judgment. Property decisions, however, become final unless an appeal has been taken within the statutory time.