Oklahoma Family law cases, such as a divorce or paternity action, are often the first time people are exposed to the court system. The stages of these cases are foreign, full of emotion at each step, and start to happen quickly and decisions must often be made on the fly. I want to use this post as a guide and a reference for key steps in the case. Save this page now and click on the links to follow the steps in the case!
Drafting of Petition and Necessary filings
Filing the case – The Judge gets assigned.
Automatic Temporary Injunction – Divorce
Service of process – Certified Mail or Process Server
Temporary Child Custody and Visitation
Who pays for what during the case
Guardian Ad Litem (attorney for the children’s best interest)
Presentation of proposed final orders
Trial Phase begins with a Motion to Enter
Discovery
30 days to respond
Request for Admissions
Request for Production of Evidence
Interrogatories
A private mediator or Early Settlement Mediation
Pretrial Conference/Resolution Conference
Motions in Limine (exclusion of evidence)
Settlement?
If not, trial
Trial
Half-day or full-day
Bench trial (no jury)
Final decision
Final Decree
I highly recommend Ryan Dobbs Legal. Providing incredible value, this practice is affordable yet capable of competently engaging larger and more expensive firms… – Dr. Jarrett. 5-star rating!
This young man was a God send. He kept me calm in a situation that I was not familiar with. He was with me step by step. He explained and had patience with me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Ryan was always available when I had questions and kept me informed of the process and what “our” strategy was. He was reassuring and very calm and confident during trial. I highly recommend him and will use his services in the future if I were unfortunate enough to need him again.
Ryan has given my business great legal advice and has been very responsive. Highly recommend!
Over the years I’ve used many lawyers for different reasons. For instance, Guardianship, Estate Planning, Workman’s Comp, Divorce, and I’ve encountered lawyers of many ranges of knowledge, professionalism, sociability, and attitude. I needed to divorce after a twenty-four year marriage and I was not in a place mentally to deal with information overload or complications. I prepared myself and hired Ryan and although he’s a bright and sociable person I wasn’t sure if he would be the lawyer to break my stereotype of lawyers who aren’t invested in their clients. But, to my surprise, and, delight Ryan Dobbs handled everything and I was divorced in a few weeks. He and his associates are pleasant, knowledgeable, and, prepared. I will look to him in the future if I need assistance with anything legal. He’s a brilliant lawyer and an honest person.
Mr Dobbs is representing my daughter’s divorce he has been extremely helpful she’s not gone to court yet but I’m very confident.
I highly recommend Ryan Dobbs Legal. Providing incredible value, this practice is affordable yet capable of competently engaging larger and more expensive firms. There were never any surprise charges or fees along the way and I always knew what to expect from a pricing standpoint. I felt valued as a client because of the personal attention my matter received. The team was efficient, communicative, and incredibly proficient in their work. Lastly, the entire process was beyond convenient, utilizing digital/virtual options so I didn’t have to interrupt my day by driving to their office.