If you’re over 50 years old and are facing a divorce in Shreveport, LA, call Knight Law Firm at (318) 722-8765 to learn how our Shreveport gray divorce lawyer might be able to help.
More and more couples over the age of 50 are filing for divorce in a newer phenomenon known as “gray divorce.” Whether you want to file for a gray divorce or have recently been served with divorce papers in Shreveport, Louisiana, it’s important to know that you don’t have to navigate the process on your own.
Knight Law Firm has been a fierce advocate for individuals facing emotionally charged, personal, and high-stakes family law disputes for almost two decades. Contact our law office in Shreveport to schedule a confidential case evaluation to discover how we might be able to help with your gray divorce case, too.
Why Choose the Knight Law Firm to Handle Your Gray Divorce in Shreveport, LA
Gray divorce can be messier and more complicated than other types of divorce due to complex financial situations. Even if you and your spouse are on the same page about most things, it just takes one disagreement about alimony or property division to derail civil negotiations.
That’s why you need to hire an award-winning Shreveport family law attorney to be your advocate and help you fight for the results you deserve.
Individuals and families in Shreveport, LA, consistently trust the Knight Law Firm to help them with gray divorce cases because:
- We use aggressive and creative legal strategies that have a proven ability to achieve desired outcomes.
- With 20+ years of experience, we draw on our in-depth knowledge of Louisiana family law to build stronger and better cases for each client we represent.
- Cases aren’t handed off to a case manager—you can expect to work hand-in-hand with one of Louisiana’s most respected litigators.
- We work closely with respected forensic accountants, business valuators, certified divorce financial analysts, real estate appraisers, and other experts in critical aspects of gray divorce cases.
Divorce is a highly complicated and nuanced area of the law. Don’t underestimate the importance of having a seasoned and successful Shreveport gray divorce attorney in your corner. Call our law office to schedule a time to discuss the details of your gray divorce case today.
What Is a Gray Divorce?
A gray divorce refers to a divorce between spouses over the age of 50. While it’s technically not different from other types of divorce, it can be more complicated due to the parties’ ages, health, and financial situations.
Gray divorces can be uncontested or contested. In an uncontested gray divorce, both spouses want to get divorced and agree to all terms related to child custody (if they share minor children), financial support, and property division.
A divorce is considered contested whenever at least one aspect of the divorce is in dispute, even if both spouses wish to terminate the marriage. A judge may not sign off on the gray divorce until all of the disputes are resolved.
What Are the Grounds for Gray Divorce in Louisiana?
There are two grounds for divorce in Louisiana: no-fault and fault.
No-fault divorces, known as Article 102 divorces, can be granted without proving that one spouse is responsible for the downfall of the marriage. Instead, the spouses acknowledge that the marriage has simply run its course or that the couple is no longer compatible. Louisiana requires spouses to live separate and apart for at least 180 days or 365 days before the divorce, depending on whether they have minor children.
Louisiana also allows a spouse to seek a fault-based divorce under Article 103. Grounds for a fault-based divorce include adultery, abuse, or conviction for specific felonies. The waiting period doesn’t necessarily apply in Article 103 divorce cases.
Does Louisiana Have Any Gray Divorce Residency Requirements?
One spouse must have lived in Louisiana for at least six months before filing for divorce. The divorce proceedings cannot move forward until this residency requirement is fulfilled.
Types of Gray Divorce Cases We Handle in Shreveport, LA
At the Knight Law Firm, we have extensive experience representing individuals in all types of gray divorce cases, including:
- Uncontested divorces
- Contested divorces
- Gray divorces with children
- Gray divorces without children
- High net-worth divorces
- Military divorces
- LGBT divorces
There’s no substitute for having an experienced and successful litigator in your corner when you’re navigating a divorce. Don’t underestimate how much power you have when you choose your legal advocate. Call our Shreveport family law attorney to discuss your divorce case today.
We’re Ready to Help You Navigate All Aspects of Your Shreveport Gray Divorce Case
Getting a divorce means figuring out how to separate two very intertwined lives. Before a divorce can be granted, spouses must agree about how their children will be taken care of, whether one spouse will still be financially obligated to the other, how marital assets should be distributed, and other issues that will have lifelong impacts.
Our divorce attorney in Shreveport, Louisiana, is prepared to help you resolve issues related to:
Child Custody
Even when you’re seeking a divorce after the age of 50, there’s a chance that you still have minor children. If you’re seeking a gray divorce and have kids, you’ll need to figure out a child custody arrangement.
Child custody involves determining which parent(s) will have legal custody—the right to make decisions about the child’s life and well-being—and how physical custody will be handled. Child custody plans should prioritize a child’s best interests, which typically means involving both parents in the child’s life.
Our Shreveport child custody attorney will help you identify the best plan for your kids, accounting for their health, relationships, safety, and family ties. Then, we’ll do our best to work with your spouse to set that plan in stone. If your children are pre-teens or teenagers, the court will likely consider their wishes as well.
Child Support
Even when custody is shared, one parent usually spends more time with the children than the other. In Louisiana, this parent is known as the primary parent or domiciliary parent. To balance things out, the other parent, with whom the children don’t live as often, is asked to pay child support.
Child support is intended solely for the benefit of the children. It can be used to pay for housing, food, education, healthcare, and other necessary things.
Our Shreveport child support lawyer can help you negotiate a financial arrangement that considers your child’s needs, each spouse’s financial situation, and other factors.
Alimony
When you’re married for a long time, it’s easy to share household expenses and debts. Many times, one spouse gives up their job or reduces their workload to take care of a growing family or support the other spouse’s career.
This can complicate matters when that couple goes to get divorced. Alimony can be used to help the lesser-earning spouse get back on their feet as a single person and maintain their quality of life after a divorce. Our Shreveport spousal support attorney is ready to help you fight for or dispute a request for alimony.
Property Division
During a gray divorce, you and your spouse will have to decide how to deal with your marital assets and any debts incurred during your marriage. If you can’t agree on the terms yourself, the dispute can go before a judge.
Community property subject to distribution can include:
- Bank accounts
- Saving accounts
- Retirement accounts
- Business interests and holdings
- Stocks and bonds
- Cars and vehicles
- Houses
- Personal property obtained during the marriage, including furniture, art, housewares, and clothing
- Debts, including mortgage loans, student loans, vehicle loans, and credit card balances
Our Shreveport property division attorney will fully account for all your assets and liabilities, help you identify the property you’re most interested in keeping, and devise a strategy to help you walk away with as much as possible.
Prenuptial Agreements
Sometimes, certain aspects of a divorce can be established before a couple ever gets married. Through a prenuptial agreement, spouses can preemptively state how marital assets and debts will be handled in a divorce.
If legal and binding, the terms of a prenup can circumvent Louisiana’s standard approach to property and financial issues in a divorce. Our Shreveport prenuptial agreement attorney can help you enforce or dispute the terms of a prenup.
Schedule a Confidential Case Evaluation With an Experienced Shreveport Gray Divorce Lawyer
Don’t leave any aspects of your divorce to chance. Call the Knight Law Firm, and trust our experienced Shreveport gray divorce lawyer to fight for your best interests.
The Knight Law Firm provides trustworthy, effective legal representation during sensitive family disputes. Backed by over 20 years of experience, our law firm is prepared to go above and beyond to help you finalize your divorce with as little stress as possible.
Contact our law office in Shreveport to learn more. Members of our team are standing by to schedule your confidential case evaluation now.
