#mutual divorce attorney

[vrassociateslawfirm]

Understanding Different Types of Divorce in India

Divorce marks the legal end of a marriage, and in India, it can broadly be classified into two types: mutual divorce and contested divorce. Understanding these two pathways can help couples make informed decisions during a challenging time.

1. Mutual Divorce Mutual divorce, also known as divorce by mutual consent, is a process where both spouses agree to dissolve their marriage amicably. This method is generally quicker, less costly, and less stressful than contested divorce, as it does not require prolonged court battles.

Key Features of Mutual Divorce:

Agreement on Separation: Both parties agree on major issues like alimony, child custody, and property division.

Less Time-Consuming: The process can be completed in a few months, depending on the mandatory separation period prescribed by law.

Lower Costs: Costs are reduced as there are fewer legal proceedings and no need for extensive litigation.

No Court Trials: Often, mutual divorces do not require a trial, and the couple may not have to appear in court multiple times.

2. Contested Divorce A contested divorce occurs when one spouse wants to divorce and the other does not, or when they cannot agree on terms like alimony, child custody, or property division. This type of divorce can be emotionally and financially draining due to the involvement of the court.

Key Features of Contested Divorce:

Disagreement and Opposition: One or both parties disagree on terms or the divorce itself.

Evidence Submission: Evidence to support claims regarding disputes over finances, custody, or other issues is necessary.

Mediation Required: Often, courts require mediation to attempt to resolve disputes before proceeding with litigation.

Higher Costs and Longer Duration: Due to multiple court hearings and the complexity of the cases, contested divorces are more expensive and time-consuming.

Legal Assistance In both types of divorces, the guidance of experienced attorneys is crucial. Legal representatives help navigate the complexities of divorce laws, ensuring that the rights and interests of their clients are protected. For individuals undergoing divorce, seeking advice from a specialized law firm like VR Associates Law Firm can be beneficial. VR Associates Law Firm is known for their expertise in handling both mutual and contested divorces efficiently.

Conclusion Choosing between mutual and contested divorce largely depends on the specific circumstances of the marriage and the ability of the spouses to collaborate on their separation terms. A mutual divorce can offer a dignified end to a marriage with less stress and expense. However, when disagreements prevail, a contested divorce becomes necessary to assert ones rights legally.

For those looking to understand more about the legal proceedings or need assistance, contacting a Mutual Divorce Attorney can provide clarity on the Mutual Divorce Process and drafting a Mutual Divorce Agreement. Consider engaging services fromVR AssociatesLaw Firm for comprehensive support and guidance through the Mutual Consent Divorce process.

FAQs What is the Difference between Mutual Divorce and Contested Divorce? The primary difference lies in the consent and cooperation between the spouses, affecting the time, cost, and emotional toll of the proceedings.

What is Alimony in Divorce? Alimony refers to the financial support that one spouse may be required to provide to the other post-divorce, as determined by the court in contested cases or agreed upon in mutual divorces.

Source of the content: https://www.vipinraina.com/blog/understanding-different-types-of-divorce-in-india.php

[familykanoon]

The Intricacies of Mutual Consent Divorce

Divorce is more than just the dissolution of a marriage; it is a complex legal process that requires careful consideration of numerous aspects to ensure a fair settlement. At Family Kanoon, we specialize in providing tailored legal solutions to the residents of Gurgaon, helping you navigate through these challenging times with expertise and confidence.

Understanding the Legal Landscape of Divorce in Gurgaon

When you're considering a separation or divorce in Gurgaon, it's crucial to have a proficient family lawyer who understands the local legal framework. Divorce law involves various crucial decisionsfrom property distribution to child custody and financial settlements. Engaging with a specialized Matrimonial Lawyer in Gurgaon or a Divorce Lawyer in Gurgaon ensures that your rights are protected throughout the process.

Key Aspects of a Mutual Divorce Agreement

A Mutual Divorce Agreement simplifies the divorce process when both parties agree on major issues. This agreement covers several essential elements:

Property and Financial Distribution: Detailed agreements on how assets and liabilities will be split.

Child Custody and Parenting Plans: Clear terms on how custody will be shared, including specifics of timing and responsibilities.

Support Obligations: Agreements on alimony and child support, specifying amounts and duration.

It's vital that these agreements are meticulously crafted to avoid future conflicts. Family Kanoon provides expert guidance in drafting a comprehensive Mutual Divorce Application that addresses all these concerns.

The Mutual Divorce Process: Simplified

The Mutual Divorce Process in Gurgaon involves several steps, beginning with the filing of a Mutual Divorce Application. The process generally includes:

Filing of Petition: Both parties jointly file a petition seeking a divorce under mutual consent.

Court Appearances: Typically, a couple needs to make a few court appearances to affirm their consent for divorce.

Cooling-off Period: The court may require a six-month reconciliation period, which can be waived under certain circumstances.

Final Decree: After the cooling-off period, if both parties still wish to proceed, the court will issue a final divorce decree.

At Family Kanoon, our Mutual Divorce Attorneys ensure that your divorce process is as seamless and stress-free as possible, advising you through each step.

Why Choose Family Kanoon?

Choosing the right Divorce Lawyers in Gurgaon can significantly influence the outcome of your divorce settlement. At Family Kanoon, our lawyers are not only well-versed in the legalities of divorce but also understand the emotional complexities involved. We provide:

Expertise and Experience: Our lawyers specialize in matrimonial law and have extensive experience in handling complex divorce cases.

Personalized Approach: We tailor our legal strategies to meet the specific needs of each client.

Confidential and Compassionate Service: We handle all cases with utmost sensitivity and confidentiality.

Conclusion: 

Ensuring a Fair and Favorable OutcomeDivorce can be a daunting journey, but with Family Kanoon, you have a partner who brings both legal acumen and empathetic counsel to the table. Whether its a straightforward mutual consent divorce or a more complex settlement, our team in Gurgaon is equipped to handle it with precision and care. For more information or to schedule a consultation, contact Family Kanoon today and take the first step towards a new beginning.            

Source of this content: https://www.familykanoon.com/blog/the-intricacies-of-mutual-consent-divorce.php

[starlitmelanin]

ink on paper I trent alexander-arnold

pairing - husband!trent × wife!reader

word count - 1.1k

warnings - none

summary - you never truly wanted a divorce, but stupid words led you to sitting in an attorney's office.

it had been raining that morning.

you remember because you had watched the droplets race down the window as you sat at the breakfast table, the cold silence between you and trent almost palpable.

the coffee tasted bitter, but you weren't sure if it was because of the cheap teabag or the resentment brewing between you two.

things hadn't always been this way. there was a time when every touch, every glance, was filled with warmth and affection. you still remember the first time he looked at you, really looked at you, with those intense eyes of his. it was at a mutual friend's party, and you had laughed at some silly joke, and there he was, across the room, grinning at you like you were the only person there.

it was intoxicating.

but life had a way of getting complicated. trent's career demanded so much of him, and while you tried to be understanding, there were moments when the loneliness became too much to bear. late nights turned into arguments, arguments into shouting matches, and before you knew it, you were standing in the middle of the kitchen, throwing hurtful words at each other like knives.

that morning had been the final straw.

he had come home late, again, and you had stayed up waiting, again. when he walked in, you had tried to keep calm, to talk it out like adults. but the exhaustion in his eyes and the frustration in yours sparked something ugly. words were exchanged, things that couldn't be taken back.

"maybe we should just call it quits," you had shouted, your voice breaking.

"maybe we should," he had replied, and the silence that followed was deafening.

now, as you sit across from him in the attorney's office, you can't help but feel a pang of regret. trent is looking at the floor, his jaw clenched, and you can tell he's trying to keep it together. this isn't what either of you wanted. it's just what it had come to.

the lawyer is droning on about the division of assets, but you can barely focus. all you can think about is the first time you and trent had walked through the door of your house, newlyweds with stars in your eyes. you remember the way he had picked you up and carried you over the threshold, both of you laughing like fools.

it seemed like a lifetime ago.

"do you understand the terms as we've discussed?" the lawyer asks, pulling you out of your reverie.

you nod, but your mind is elsewhere.

it's on the countless nights you spent waiting for him to come home, the missed calls, the arguments. but it's also on the nights he held you close, whispered sweet nothings in your ear, and promised forever.

"y/n," trent's voice breaks through the haze. he's looking at you now, really looking at you, and for a moment, it feels like it did back then. "are you sure this is what you want?"

you open your mouth to speak, but the words catch in your throat. you had been so certain when you made the decision, so sure that it was the only way to stop the pain. but now, sitting here, you aren't sure of anything.

"i don't know," you finally whisper, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. "i just... i don't know."

trent's expression softens, and for a moment, you think he might reach across the table and pull you into his arms. but he doesn't. he stays where he is, a safe distance away, just like the past few months.

the lawyer clears his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the emotional display. "perhaps we should take a break," he suggests, shuffling his papers awkwardly.

you nod, grateful for the respite. you stand up, your legs feeling unsteady, and make your way to the restroom. once inside, you lean against the sink, staring at your reflection in the mirror. you look tired, worn out. this whole ordeal has taken its toll on you.

as you splash some water on your face, you think about all the things you wish you could say to trent. how you miss him, how you never wanted things to end up like this. how you still love him, despite everything.

when you return to the conference room, trent is standing by the window, looking out at the rain-soaked streets. he turns when he hears you come in, and there's a sadness in his eyes that mirrors your own.

"do you remember our first date?" he asks quietly, as you take your seat.

you nod, a small smile tugging at your lips. "of course. you took me to that little italian restaurant on the corner. we laughed so much that night."

trent chuckles, but it's a hollow sound. "i thought i was going to screw it up. i was so nervous.”

"you were perfect," you reply, your voice barely above a whisper.

the room falls silent again, the weight of everything unsaid hanging between you. the lawyer re-enters, looking between the two of you with a mixture of sympathy and professionalism.

"shall we continue?" he asks, but you can tell he's hoping you'll call the whole thing off.

you glance at trent, searching his face for any sign that he wants to fight for this, for you. but all you see is the same weariness you feel.

"let's get this over with," trent says, his voice flat.

and just like that, the moment is gone.

you sign the papers, your hand shaking slightly, and when it's trent's turn, he does the same. it feels surreal, like you're watching someone else's life fall apart.

as you leave the office, the rain has stopped, leaving the streets glistening under the afternoon sun. you walk in silence, side by side but miles apart. when you reach your car, you turn to trent one last time.

"i’m sorry," you say, and you mean it with every fibre of your being.

trent nods, his eyes filled with a sorrow that breaks your heart all over again. "me too.”

you want to reach out, to hold him, to take back every hurtful word you ever said. but you don't. instead, you get into your car and drive away, leaving behind the man you still love and a life that could have been.

sometimes, love isn't enough to fix what's broken. and as you navigate the streets, you realise that this is one of those times.

the tears come then, hot and unstoppable, and you let them fall, mourning the loss of what once was and what could never be.

[acknowledge-reigns]

Swipe Right | Roman Reigns x Black!fem OC (18+)

Description: Roman is determined to make things right with Iris.

Chapter: 4/6

Word Count: 1211

Warnings: Praise, very mild arguing, mention of previous divorce.

This is set in an AU in which the og bloodline reunited before wrestlemania 40 and Roman retained. As always my stories are about Roman, not Joe. While there is not smut in the first couple of chapters, there will be in others. This is very much an 18+ BDSM based romance with some comedy thrown in there. You have been warned.

Iris walked into the meeting room, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement. Setting in the room with some the icons of her childhood such as The Rock, Triple H and Shawn Michaels with them all depending on her to secure the best deal possible for the company.

As she took her seat, she saw Roman sitting across from her. He gave her a small nod, but Iris quickly looked away, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of 'acknowledging' him because well, fuck that.

The meeting began, and They started discussing the details of what WWE would want out of the deal. Iris listened intently, taking notes and asking questions when necessary.

Iris was impressed by the ambition and determination of the WWE executives and top stars. They wanted to expand their reach and increase their revenue, and they were willing to go all out to make it happen.

As the meeting progressed, Iris noticed that Roman was paying close attention to her. He would glance at her every now and then, as if he was trying to gauge her reaction to everything that was being discussed.

"I understand your concerns, but I think we can work out a deal that benefits both parties," Iris said, her voice calm and professional. "We can negotiate terms that ensure that the deal is mutually beneficial and that the rights of both parties are protected so that we get everything WWE requires of the deal, I don't see Netflix or their Attorneys giving us very much push back on any of this."

The WWE executives nodded, impressed by her knowledge and confidence.

"We appreciate your input, Ms. Taylor." Triple H said. "We were looking for a lawyer who can handle the details and help us navigate the legal landscape of the deal in a timely manner so we can get the ball rolling on getting the product out to our fans as soon as possible."

"We knew you were the right choice when Roman recommended you" The Rock spoke up.

Iris could barely hide her surprise at The Rock's words. She hadn't expected Roman to recommend her to the WWE, especially after the way things had ended between them.

"Roman recommended me?" she asked, trying to keep her voice neutral.

The Rock nodded. "Yeah, he said you were a lawyer and that he trusted you to do a good job."

Roman shifted uncomfortably in his seat, clearly not expecting his cousin to bring him up.

Iris glanced at Roman, trying to read his expression. Focusing back in on the task at hand, the meeting continued, with the WWE executives discussing the logistics of the deal. Iris tried to focus on the conversation, but her mind kept wandering back to Roman. It was driving her crazy being this distracted when she's used to being laser focused when talking to a client.

After another hour or so of discussion, the meeting finally came to an end. The WWE executives thanked Iris for her input and left the room, leaving her alone with Roman, and Paul who left when Roman shot him a look requesting privacy.

Iris gathered her notes and papers, shoving them into her briefcase. She was about to leave when she heard Roman's voice.

"Hey, can we talk for a minute?" he asked, his tone surprisingly gentle.

Iris hesitated for a moment, unsure if she wanted to talk to him. But something in his voice made her stop.

"Fine," she said, turning to face him. "What do you want to talk about?"

Roman took a step closer to her, his expression serious.

"I just wanted to apologize," he said. "For what happened at Smackdown. I was an ass, and I shouldn't have treated you like that."

Iris raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

"You're apologizing now, after?" she asked. "Why? because I'm representing the company you work for in negotiations?"

Roman sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"No, it's not just because of that," he said. "I've been thinking about what happened, and I realized that I was wrong. I let my emotions get the best of me, and I took it out on you. I'm sorry for that."

Iris studied him for a moment, trying to gauge his sincerity.

"You know, you could have just said that instead of making things worse at Smackdown," she said, her voice laced with a hint of bitterness.

Roman nodded, looking down at the floor.

"I know, I know," he said. "I was stupid. I let my pride get in the way, and I hurt you in the process. I'm not used to being... vulnerable. I'm sorry for that, too."

Roman looked up at Iris, his expression soft.

"I just got divorced," he said quietly. "It was a messy, painful process. We have five kids together... And I don't know if I'm ready to feel again. I don't know if I'm ready to open myself up to someone new."

Iris softened a bit at his words. She could see the pain in his eyes, and she understood what he was going through.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said, her voice gentle. "Divorce is never easy, especially when it's messy and there are kids involved."

Roman took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to say.

"I know you have no reason to say yes," he said. "But I was wondering if you would let me take you to dinner. As an apology for everything that happened between us."

Iris hesitated, torn between her anger and her curiosity. She didn't want to give in to Roman's request, but there was a part of her that was tempted.

"Why should I?" she asked, her voice guarded. "You've already apologized. What more do you want from me?"

Roman looked at her, his eyes pleading.

"I want a chance to make things right," he said. "I want to show you that I'm sorry"

Iris was silent for a moment, considering his words. She knew that she shouldn't give in to his request, but there was something about his sincerity that made her reconsider.

"Fine," she said finally. "One dinner. But don't think that this means anything."

As Iris agreed to have dinner with Roman, he smiled at her, relieved that she had accepted his invitation. But then, as he was about to thank her, the words slipped out before he could stop them.

"Good girl," he said, his voice soft and low.

Iris's eyes widened in surprise at Roman's words. She hadn't expected him to say that, she felt her breath hitch in her throat.

Roman realized what he had said and quickly tried to cover it up.

"I mean, thank you," he said hastily. "Thank you for agreeing to have dinner with me."

Iris tried to push down the arousal that she felt at Roman's praise, but it was too late. She could feel her body responding to his words.

She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself.

"You're welcome," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Roman could sense the change in her demeanor, and he couldn't help but notice the way she'd been flustered and it sent a thrill through him.

"I'll pick you up at 7," he said, "Wear something nice."

"Yes, My tribal chief." She said sarcastically

Previous Chapter ●◉◎◈◎◉● Next Chapter

[baronessvonglitter]

Cherry, Cherry 🍒 Chapter 19 🍒

"Hungry Heart"

Joel Miller x f!Reader

Word count: 6,022

Summary: Going to Jackson for a wedding seems like just a friend doing a favor for a friend, but old acquaintances and new attitudes don't always make for a great combination.

WARNINGS: 18+ Only! Mature and Explicit, age gap (reader is 39, Joel is 56), takes place June - December 2023, mention of eating food/drinking alcohol, mention of divorce, language, No Smut, mention of infidelity, post-divorce strife, Ellie is kind of a delinquent (will be discussed in next chapter), brief glimpse of lumberjack!Joel, forced proximity, mutual pining (mostly on Joel's side), Joel tries to be an authority figure and Ellie ain't having it

Author's Note: thank you to everyone who's stuck around to read this and been very patient with me! my birthday was last week so there was a lot going on, otherwise I would have had this out earlier. So.. we've got these two together again, but the reunion isn't exactly a happy one..

Series Masterlist

June 2023 San Francisco, CA

It's not until you're seated in a booth at the trendy new sushi bar downtown that you begin to doubt your agreement to meet Sarah while she's in town for a work conference. You'd said yes initially, then waffled about it in the coming weeks, and now you're drinking sake to fortify yourself. Your therapist told you it's a bad idea to mix alcohol with reacquaintances, but you're already refilling the ochoko when you look up for a moment and spy Sarah approaching you through the crowded restaurant.

You've never thought about what she might look like. A part of you imagined that you'd be sitting down to dinner with the same kid from twenty years ago. But Sarah has grown up, in her thirties, a successful attorney. And, from what you gathered by spying on Joel's Facebook account years ago, she's also a mother.

"Thank you for meeting me," she says, embracing you the way women always embrace each other, something you never got used to because of you lack of female friends. She smells like expensive perfume, the kind you spray on yourself at Sephora just for fun, and is dressed in a white maxi dress with blue floral print. She looks amazing, and you silently berate yourself for wearing black distressed jeans, a Rolling Stones tee and your lucky red Converse.

"You're all grown up," you remark, a hint of sadness in your tone.

"You look beautiful," she says in return. "You don't even look like twenty years have passed."

Little does she know you spent forty dollars on a concealer to hide your undereye circles, and were talked into spending another twenty on something called a lip oil that makes your lips sticky and tastes like cheap pineapple, which you wiped away on the restaurant napkin as soon as you sat down.

Settling down to small talk, you neglect to look at your menus, annoying the waitress who stops by to take your order three times and ultimately just comes by to refill your drinks.

Sarah lives out east in Boulder, Colorado, practicing law alongside her fiance Theo. They have a son together, ten year old Finn.

"Theo proposed when I got pregnant," Sarah says. "But I wanted us to build a foundation first, construct our little family. And when the time was right, I proposed to him."

She shows off pictures of Finn, sharing the funny and cute anecdotes that parents do, and when she asks about Ellie you do the same: Ellie in the hospital, just hours old, wearing a tiny knitted pink and blue hat as she glowered at the camera; Ellie at four, playing T-ball, one of just two girls on an all-boys team; Ellie at ten winning the school spelling bee.

Being an Army wife gave you the opportunity to see the world, experience things you otherwise wouldn't. Japan, Germany, Italy.. you were happy that Ellie got to experience them too.

But even that couldn't save your marriage to Justin.

There were infidelities on both sides, and when you found out about his, it was almost a relief to discover he was not Nice Justin, just a man who had affairs. In the midst of your own liaisons, you felt vindicated, though the fun wore off easier than it had in your youth.

Filing for divorce was only difficult considering Ellie. Justin didn't fight it, handing over full custody. It was the only part of the process that broke your heart. Now you were just repeating a history of broken families. Once the divorce was finalized it was like throwing up after being nauseous for so long, just good to get it out of your system.

("I kept my married name, just to piss off the new wife," you tell Sarah, who snickers in response. "That's understandable.")

Settling in San Francisco where you like the neighborhood and the schools, life seems easier.

"Ninth grade history," you answer when Sarah asks what you teach. "I introduce Romeo & Juliet to kids who are the same age as those characters."

And now, with the niceties out of the way, there's nothing left to talk about but the past.

You've been dreading it.

"I never apologized for what I did," she says.

You nod, inviting her to continue.

"You probably know this by now, but I was the one who called your mom."

Of course you knew it all along, but hearing it is a different thing.

She got her number from your phone when you weren't around. And, unable to get the picture of you and her dad out of her mind, she dialed it one day and explained to your mom what she saw.

"Why?" you ask.

She averts her eyes a brief moment. "Deep down I always knew there was something going on with you and my dad.. the day of my party when I walked in on you, it was a rude awakening. It's one thing to know something is going on, and another thing to witness it. And later, when you left, I realized I'd taken it too far."

Sarah goes quiet and so do you, despite the chatter in the busy restaurant.

You ask, "Did Joel ever find out it was you?"

She nods. "I told him later.. after he started seeing that awful girl you were friends with."

That part of your life, the bubble of jealousy and despair in which you made your home, seems so long ago. "Hailey," you remind her.

"Yeah.. she didn't last very long. Dad broke things off when he caught her stealing from him.. and when that happened I realized he was just better off with you. But.. by then it was too late."

By then you were already apart. The damage had been done.

"Was he angry at you for what you did?"

Sarah shrugs. "It was a silent kind of angry. You know how he is. We avoided each other for weeks until it became impossible. And by then.. you were gone."

You take a moment to reflect on your memories of Joel. "How is he?"

She smiles, as if she knew or even hoped you'd ask about him. "He's good. He's in Jackson now. Wyoming. Tommy's there with his new wife.."

You shift uncomfortably in your seat. "And, uh.. your stepmom?"

She looks blank for a moment. "You mean Tess? No, they divorced a few years ago. She was nice, it just didn't work out."

You don't know whether to feel sorrow or relief at this fact, but for once you decide to be petty and let the relief take over, hoping he went through a fraction of the pain you endured.

Sarah toys with her salmon roll. "I'm sorry," she says, nodding to herself as if giving herself strength to do it. She looks you in the eye and you catch a glimpse of the girl she used to be. "I'm sorry. For starting everything."

So many times you've imagined what it would be like if you hadn't been found out by anyone else. Would you still have stayed in Austin? Would you and Joel have had more time together?

"It's in the past, right?" You manage a smile, happy that this is out in the open. A part of you feels like a weight is lifted. Things may not have happened the way you wanted, but now you can reconcile the things you can't control anymore.

"This is probably the wrong time to say this," Sarah continues, "but I'd like to invite you and Ellie to my wedding this December, in Jackson. You won't have to worry about airfare or hotels. Theo and I will cover your ticket and.. well, everyone's staying at my dad's. He has a huge house in town, enough for close family. I'd really love it if you would come."

"Justin, you're really fucking me over, do you know that?" you try to speak as quietly as you can into the phone while laying out outfits for the Jackson trip. "Ellie's going to be brokenhearted. You told her you'd have her the entire two weeks."

On the other line Justin sighs, the new, younger Mrs. Williams can be heard in the background. "I promised Svetlana first. We really need this time together," he whispers as well, likely not trying to instigate another argument with his wife.

You have some choice words for Svetlana, but are interrupted when Ellie quietly walks into the room, well aware that the discussion is about her. "I'll call you back."

"Let me guess.." Ellie sits on the edge of the bed. "I'm not going with Dad for Christmas.."

There's no point in lying to her. She's a sharp kid. "I'm sorry you had to hear that, kiddo. He and your stepmother are taking an extended honeymoon in Malta," you tell her gently.

"You mean Slutlana?"

"What? Ellie, that's rude. Don't say that." You pause. "Don't say that to her face, at least."

She's quiet, and at times like this you regret that she's essentially living the life you lived at fourteen, always wondering when Dad would come back, if he even wanted to spend time with his own child.

"So.. I'm going with you?"

You nod. "Thank god your probation is over. It'd be nice if you paid Marlene a visit, or at least called her," I said, speaking of the parole officer assigned to Ellie after a particular incident. "We should send her some Tiff's Treats or something, she deserves a gift after putting up with your delinquent self." You playfully toss a tee shirt at her.

"Can I say bye to Riley?" she asks, hope evident in her eyes.

"No," you're adamant on this one thing, as lax as you were before the trespassing situation.

"Mom, my probation's over. I'm not gonna get in trouble just for talking to her."

"I don't care. I'm not going by the judge's rules, I'm going by mine." You pause. "You'll just have to come with me to Wyoming."

Sarah had gone to the trouble of sending a beautifully embossed wedding invitation, done in traditional cream and gold, with photos of the two of them as children, as teens, and one gorgeously done couples photo. Theo's cute, and Sarah seems happy with him.

"Boring," Ellie says in response to the wedding festivities. "Why would anyone want to get married?"

You decide not to give her a response. At her age you didn't understand the fuss about weddings either.

Forgoing Sarah's offer of paying for your flight, you rent a Chevrolet Suburban for the drive over.

"You do realize we'll be driving for over fourteen hours, right?" Ellie says, helping you put the suitcases and bags in the roomy luggage hold.

"Yep. I checked it out on Google Maps."

"What happens if you get tired?"

"We'll drive during the day and find a rest stop or a motel at night," you shrug.

"You know.. I could take over the drive sometimes," she offers.

"Okay, kiddo. Why not?"

She brightens. "Really?"

"Absolutely fucking not." With a smile you open the passenger door and she hops in, grumbling,

Only so much music can suffice a long ride, and somewhere outside of Reno, Ellie busts out a dog-eared copy of a book Justin had given her as a gag won the spelling bee.

"Oh no, Ellie, for god's sake, not the puns," you whine dramatically.

"Yes, the puns," she grins. "How else am I supposed to spend my time on this boring-ass road trip?"

"Brace yourself. We've only been on the road less than four hours."

She groans, slumping forward in her seat, revived shortly when she decides to recite every single pun in that damn book, and when you give her that Mom look, she simply grins and tells you, "That's what you get for turning down a plane ticket."

Three days later you arrive. Jackson Hole is picturesque, especially in winter, as it it was just made to be the snowy backdrop on a postcard or a highlight on Instagram.

You turn down the main thoroughfare of the town, a light dusting of snow already falling from the heavens as you peer out the window, frowning in concentration as you try to familiarize yourself with the location. Ellie's buzzing in your ear like a mosquito, singing along to something on the radio. You turn the volume down. "Quiet down, I can't see."

She nearly bursts at the seam with withheld laughter. "You want me to quiet down... because you can't see?" she teases.

"Ellie!" you groan. "We're already late for lunch with the family."

Promising yourself you'll settle in a hotel after what you hope will be a painless reunification with Sarah and the rest of the Millers, you find your destination and drive up a perfectly paved driveway. Joel's house, a craftsman-style facade done in red brick and accented with carved gable peaks, looks exactly like a house Joel would own.

Parking close enough on the curved driveway without blocking in any other cars, you take a moment to rest, stretching your neck and shoulders.

"Should've let me drive," Ellie says from her seat as you both start to disembark.

There's a smart remark on your lips but when you turn to her you're distracted by a figure at the side of the house.

Someone's chopping wood, splitting logs with precision, though not necessarily speed. He's wearing just a white tee shirt, jeans, boots. You let your eyes linger on his physique. Who is that? you wonder.

As if he can hear your thoughts or sense your presence, the figure turns and wipes the sweat off his brow.

You know him in an instant.

Joel.

Your heart feels like it's going into arrhythmia.

"Come on, Ellie," you hurry her up the walk and to the front steps.

"The bags--"

"Fuck the bags." You press the doorbell nervously, willing Sarah or anyone to open quickly.

"You made it!" Sarah practically mauls you as she greets you, giving both you and Ellie a hug.

You're swept inside where it's nice and cozy, the air scented with pine and gingerbread. Christmas garlands are strung over every doorway, along the staircase railing, the windows, and the fireplace.

"Was my dad out there? I told him he needs to start getting ready. I don't want him coming to the luncheon all sweaty," Sarah says.

"What? No. I didn't see anything.. anyone," you stutter.

"I'm happy you're here, because we're actually going to have lunch at the Tipsy Bison instead. It's Tommy's bar, you probably passed it on the way up here."

"Oh, uh.." you're distracted by Ellie precariously sloshing a winter themed snow globe, the thought of Joel is still spinning around in your sleep-deprived brain, and Sarah is still talking to you like you don't look completely zoned out and anxious.

To make things worse, Joel comes in, carrying most of yours and Ellie's luggage. His white tee sticks to his sweaty skin, his face pink with exertion and dewy with sweat, his hair dark with more gray now than ever, and on his beard too. His eyes, those dark depths you've lost yourself in so many times, peer into yours, and for a moment you forget to breathe.

"You left the trunk open," he murmurs, as if it's a quiet admonition, a secret he doesn't want to tell.

"Oh.. thank you. You didn't have to do that." Your nervous glance at him gives your blushing away because you see his face redden as well.

"Dad, can you believe she has a kid now?" Sarah says excitedly.

There's a jolt of fear when you realize father and daughter are going to be in the same room, and neither of them knows it.

"Uh, Ellie, this is Joel Miller. He's, uh, Sarah's dad, and I used to babysit Sarah.. a long time ago.." Being put on the spot, you falter your words.

"Put 'er there, Joel," Ellie says, holding out her hand for him to shake, which Joel does, the start of a tiny smirk on his lips.

"We all lived in Austin together, with your Aunt Sofia. I mean, we didn't live together but we were neighbors," you babble, feeling even more blush creep up your neck. "Way before you were born, kiddo."

Meanwhile Sarah's eyes dart from Ellie to Joel to you, and back again, slower each time, as if she's piecing the puzzle together. Her eyes linger on Ellie, her expression unreadable before settling on you. You quickly glance away.

"Let me take that from you," you motion to the luggage Joel's carrying.

"Nah, I got it. I'll show ya to y'all's rooms." He hefts the suitcases and bags like they're nothing and heads upstairs. You have no choice but to follow him, sneaking a little glance at how his great his ass looks in his jeans.

"Nice place you got here, Joel," Ellie remarks, eyes skyward, surveying the landing at the top of the stairs.

"Thank you," he says quietly. "Do you always address your elders by their given names?"

"Ellie," you whisper harshly. "Mind your manners."

"Damn, sorry," she mutters back.

"Sorry, Joel. She's--"

"Hey, why do you get to call him Joel?"

"Because I'm an adult," you say under your breath.

"He's older than you. Like, a lot. Like, Grandpa Bob's age."

"Stop it," you say through clenched teeth as Joel clears his throat.

"I can put y'all next door to each other--"

"I call this one!" Ellie claims the first door on the left, grabbing her bags and leaving Joel to lead you a little further down the hall.

"'M afraid this one is right across the hall from mine," he mumbles, leading you inside the comfortably decorated bedroom to set your things down.

"Thank you," you murmur, heart thrumming in your chest. This is the first time you've been alone with him in fifteen years. "You.. have a really beautiful home here, Joel."

He looks around, eyes darting anywhere but yours. "Thank you, that means a lot. Built it myself-- well, with Tommy's help."

"Really?" It's hard to pretend you're not impressed. "Must've been a lot of hard work."

"Yeah, it was. But she's sturdy." Joel gives a sturdy pat to the wall, and you can't help looking at his hand, the way his thick fingers splay out against the dark green wallpaper. Those are fingers that used to find their way inside you, curving just so in order for you to come quickly while his lips and tongue worked in tandem to--

Ellie's voice comes from the other room. "Wow! You guys have cable? Do you have HBO?"

"No Euphoria!" you shout back, scoffing when she quiets again.

There are too many questions on the tip of your tongue, too many things you want to say but not when you're so nervous that your hands are shaking. Staying quiet is easier. More awkward, but easier.

The room fills with unspoken words and missed chances as the two of you shift uneasily, not knowing where to start, not knowing if you should start.

"Didn't know ya had a daughter," he grumbles. "Not 'til Sarah told me."

"Yeah. Ellie's.. precocious."

A ghost of a smile graces Joel's lips as he looks at you and for a moment in time you feel eighteen again.

"How old is she?" he asks.

"She turned fourteen this past spring." God, please don't let him do the math, please don't let him do the math.

Instead he gives a low whistle, wears a teasing smile. "You look good for bein' the mom of a teenager. You still look beauti-- still look the same," he finishes.

You're thirty nine now and in possession of all the complexities that come with your age. There's more gray in your hair than you care to admit (which Ellie tells you not to dye because it "looks cool"), and there are a few more pounds on your person and a few more lines on your face than you're happy with, but his compliment warms you nonetheless.

"You look.. good.. too." Jesus, how did this man age like fine wine? If anything, the past two decades only served to make him hotter. It's unfair.

He takes a step forward, his face determined, lips pursed like he's still calculating his decision. "I.. I wanted to say--"

This time Sarah comes up, dressed for the cold, putting on her gray gloves. "Dad, get in the shower already," she scolds him. "I'm taking her and Ellie to the Tipsy Bison. We'll see you there."

Joel's eyes set on you. "I don't mind takin' them."

You open your mouth to speak, even though you have no idea how to respond. "Honestly, I'll drive me and my daughter. And we can get a room in town."

"No way, Jose." Sarah loops your arm through hers. "You're staying with us and that's final. So, will you let me drive you, or do you want to wait for my dad?"

Waiting for Joel.. it seems you've spent the majority of your youth waiting for him.

"Can we go with Sarah?" Ellie asks, solving the problem for you.

In truth you would have liked a moment to rest, to sleep, to puzzle over the strangeness of the day so far. You're almost a thousand miles from the home you've made after your divorce, under the same roof as the man who changed your life in ways good and bad, harboring a secret from him and his family. Not to mention Ellie's ignorance of her origins.

Sarah herds you and Ellie into the Tipsy Bison, a spacious bar establishment on Main Street, part of the scenery you must have driven by without noticing upon driving into town. Inside is the typical decor you'd expect: neon lights advertising every brand of beer and alcohol you can imagine, taxidermy mounts of bears, bucks, and elk. Pool tables are at the far left, dartboards to the right, a couple of foosball tables as well. There's a stage beyond the pool tables, ready for a band or DJ, a makeshift dance floor in front of it, and colored lights remain still overhead, their brightness dulled and stilled by the daytime.

There's a homey, cozy feeling as you glance around. The bar spreads along the far side beyond a range of tables and booths, boasting a wide variety of booze. Working behind the bar is a face you haven't seen in awhile: Tommy.

He comes out to greet you, his smile and bright and joyful as you've always known him to be, and part of you feels guilty that the last time you were together you'd been drunk, making out next to his truck, after meeting in a bar just like this one.

"Hey you!" He envelops you in a tight hug, and you start to feel better. Bygones are certainly bygones in his case.

"Tommy, it's good to see you again," you smile, pulling away to get a good look at him. "You've hardly aged. What's with you Millers, are you all vampires or something?" You cast a playful look at Sarah, who's bringing her fiance and her son to meet you.

Tommy shrugs, a playful grin on his lips. "You're more than welcome to join our Legion of the Undead," he jokes.

You're introduced to Theo, Sarah's husband-to-be, who's on the quiet side, a contradiction to Sarah who's chattering away about him, and Finn, who's an exact replica of his dad, eyeing you and Ellie with a shy smile.

Ellie manages to find a friend in him as you and the others get to catching up. You're introduced to Maria, Tommy's wife, the roundness of her baby bump just barely showing. She oversees the caterers as they start setting up for lunch. Tommy and Sarah talk about you like you're a part of the family instead of someone who knew them for a summer and changed things forever, even in some small way.

"Sarah tells me this is your place now," you speak to Tommy, who's behind the bar and pouring you a drink.

"Sure is," he says, sliding the drink across the bar to you. "Don't know anyone who orders a gin and tonic in the middle of winter," he says, teasing you.

"I'm eccentric," you smirk, taking a sip of the crisp, slightly bitter drink.

"Should be you behind this bar, Cherry," he winks.

"Oh god, no one's called me that in forever," you groan, doing a quick check on Ellie to find her attempting to play pool with Finn.

"How's business?" you ask him.

"Good, good," he nods. "Just glad to be settin' down some roots, buildin' somethin' for when the baby comes."

"Congratulations," you smile. "You and Maria seem like a good fit."

"Well.. y'know.. can't fuck around forever," he chuckles, then he spots someone at the entrance.

"Hey, brother!" Tommy raises his hand in greeting and you stay still, wishing you could sink down into the ground or better yet, become invisible completely.

The old-fashioned jukebox ends a Fleetwood Mac song and drifts into "Hungry Heart" by Bruce Springsteen starts, the catchy, melancholic combo of piano, drums, bass, guitar and saxophone wafting throughout the bar. You keep your eyes on your drink, willing for all of this to be just a dream, some intrusive thought you've put incredible detail into, prolonging your grief over lost love.

But there he is, a barstool between you, giving you your space while ready to jump up at a moment's notice if you want him closer. Your casual glance gives you away when you stare too long at him, clad in a green flannel shirt, his gray tee peeking beneath. You could swear it's the same flannel shirt you wore at the cabin, in the days when you were younger and carefree, before bad things happened to separate you.

Joel catches your look, lips twitching into a smile as his hands wrap around a glass of whiskey.

"So, what took you away from Boston?" you ask, putting your lips to your drink so you're not tempted to ask too much. It's an attempt to break the awkward silence.

"Lot of things," he mutters, staring into the amber liquid. "But mostly I followed Tommy out here."

"I was in Boston with him for awhile." Tommy shakes his head. "Hated it. I'll never set foot on the East Coast again if I can help it. I came out here, met Maria, started a family."

"And Sarah was already out here, buildin' a life. Just made sense for us all to be together again."

You look at both of them, glad the conversation isn't just between you and Joel. "The house is amazing. Joel told me you both built it."

The look of pride on their faces is endearing.

"We did, and mine too, across the street from his," Tommy adds.

"What happened to the contracting business?"

"We expanded it," Joel answers, a twinkle in his eye though his expression remains serious. "Made a nice chunk of change. Got branches in Oklahoma, Arkansas, even as far as Georgia."

That would explain the six-bedroom house, the fancy week-long wedding rituals that Sarah has joyfully swept you up in, and the catered lunches. The Millers have become quite financially well-off.

You listen to the brothers talk about some of the adventures they've been on, the good and the bad that has passed and ultimately brought them here, with you, once again.

The lunch spread is impressive: Texas style barbecue of ribs, brisket, and chicken; side dishes of beans, potato salad, grilled corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese, and mouthwatering desserts of pumpkin and pecan pies, cheesecake, banana pudding, and peach cobbler.

You haven't realized how hungry you are until you realize you have to remember to force yourself to eat slower, accidentally spilling a little barbecue sauce on your shirt. Embarrassed, you wipe it away, glancing at Ellie and finding her doing the same thing, just shoveling forkfuls of food in her mouth.

"Easy there," Joel's voice booms from across the table. "No one's gonna take it from ya," he playfully chides.

You were so absorbed in your lunch that you didn't realize he was right across from you. "Ellie," you scold her quietly. "Slow down."

"This is slow for me," she answers.

"Mind your mama," Joel says gruffly, his tone is authoritative.

She looks up at him, in annoyance and surprise. "You don't tell me what to do."

"And you don't talk back like that." Joel's voice gets a little more strict.

"Joel, stop," you intercede, your voice just as terse. The chatter around the table has dimmed but it's obvious everyone has their focus on you three.

"The kid obviously needs some fuckin' manners."

You scoff. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

His eyes lock with yours, dark and cold. "I see where she gets it from. I guess that's what happens when a dad ain't around to teach some respect."

"Fuck this," Ellie mutters, pushing back from the table and throwing down her napkin, quick to get up and leave.

Your face is flaming red with both anger and embarrassment as your gaze burns through Joel's. "There's something wrong with you. Seriously," you mutter before getting up to go after her.

Joel goes after you. Sarah goes after Joel.

"Ellie!" you call out, watching her walk off in the direction of the house.

"I'll get her," Sarah volunteers, gently touching your arm. And then you hear her speak to Joel under her breath, something like "You're ruining it," before she hurries up to catch Ellie.

It's you and Joel now.

"Babygirl," he starts, his voice low.

"Babygirl?? Fuck you!"

Joel goes pale, obviously not expecting that. "I deserve that. I deserve for you to hate me."

"Hate you? No, you deserve worse than for me to hate you! How dare you yell at Ellie like that? I never once saw you treat Sarah that way."

"She never acted like that," he huffs.

"Do us both a favor and just stay away from us for the rest of the week. I'll see about getting a motel tonight, just.. fucking leave us alone."

He mutters Christ, and reaches for you, pulls you to the side of the building. "I'm sorry, all right?"

"Yeah? Tell her that." You could easily leave. He's not restraining you, but you stay. "Is that all you have to apologize for?"

He looks guilty. "No, of course not. I've been trying to talk to you since you got here--"

"Fifteen goddamn years and I don't hear anything from you? And now you.. what, you expect me to fall into your arms like I'm a stupid fucking teenager again? Go to hell! Nothing is that simple anymore!"

You hadn't meant for all your rage to come spilling out, it was just supposed to be about Ellie, but now that you're face to face with him, you can't help wanting to rage at him. Joel backs away from you, his eyes on the ground, hands on his hips, jaw set.

"Longer than that, actually," you softly correct yourself. "San Antonio.. you fucking left me. On my birthday."

He steps forward, not ready to back down. "I went to jail for you. On my birthday."

"I didn't ask you to do that! I didn't ask for anything but for you to love me! And you stopped!"

"No, I didn't," he whispers, arms hanging at his side even though they itch to reach out for you, hold you, make it better again.

"Don't say that," you warn him, backing away. "Don't insult my intelligence, Joel. You don't know what I went through after you left me. My heart was broken for years!"

"You were just a kid. I.. I thought I was doin' right by lettin' you go."

"I wasn't better because of you breaking up with me. I got worse! So much worse!" You don't dwell a lot on the past, specifically the college years that are now mostly a blur of hookups and hangovers, but now it all comes rushing back. Joel was your safety net and he took all that away from you once you started to freefall.

"Bullshit. You got married," he says bitterly.

"I did that so I could feel normal again. I tried to save myself. But it didn't matter in the end because he didn't love me either. Though I have to say, my divorce hurt a hell of a lot less than your abandonment."

Joel starts to look his age. The lines in his face deepen with worry and regret as he absorbs your words, mulling over everything that has happened. "I'm sorry--"

"Besides, you got married too! So please don't play like you're such a saint. You hardly look the part." Your anger has warmed you, given some spice to your blood so that you don't even feel the cold anymore. You roll your sleeves to your elbows, fists curled, adrenaline pumping as you finally tell him everything that's been locked away inside your heart.

"I don't accept your apology," you grunt, adding, "And don't ever yell at our daughter like that ever again!" You storm off, wishing you'd brought your jacket but it would mean having to walk past Joel, back into the restaurant and out again, and you're already walking away. It seems one of you is always walking away from the other.

It's snowing again when you find Sarah and Ellie, further down in front of a storefront, steaming cups of hot chocolate in their hands. Both are smiling, chatting, seemingly getting along. You know you should reprimand Ellie, tell her to apologize to Joel, but how can you be a hypocrite that way when you won't even talk to him yourself? All you can think about is leaving, going straight to the motel and picking up your things at Joel's later.

Sarah talks you into staying, warning of bad weather coming in soon. She apologizes for Joel, and you apologize for airing your grievances so publicly.

"Just don't do it at the rehearsal dinner tomorrow," she smirks. "Then I'll have to leave your ass out in the snow."

That evening you and Ellie keep to your rooms. You use your phone for distraction when your attention span keeps drifting from your novel, but even technology isn't the answer. There's only so much Merge Mansion you can play, and not even True Detective can hold your attention for long. You decide to rewatch Narcos (for the plot, you tell yourself) when Ellie knocks on your door.

"What's up, kiddo?" You press pause and scoot over on the bed, offering her to get comfy next to you.

"Have you seen the news?"

You're on Do Not Disturb and haven't gotten any of your usual notifications.

"There's a blizzard coming tonight. Sarah says sometimes the main roads get snowed in and we won't be able to get out."

Oh Sarah Miller, the purveyor of bad news. "She told me something like that. How long do they expect conditions to last?" You're already checking your phone.

"Could be days, maybe even up to a week," Ellie shrugs.

"Great," you mutter. "So we're stuck here even after the wedding?" It's the day after tomorrow.

"Please don't make us go to the motel. Sarah's really cool and really nice. And I even like Theo and Finn.. even Joel isn't so bad so long as he stops talking to me like a dad."

That night, as the blizzard blows in, turning everything outside completely white, Joel tosses in his sleep in his room across the hall from yours. It's not the howling winds keeping him awake; he's lived here long enough to get used to such natural disasters.

There's something you said to him, earlier outside the bar. It was an explosive moment, with words exchanged like bullets. But in the midst of it all he took away that one sentence: don't ever yell at our daughter like that ever again.

Our daughter?

dividers by @saradika 👑

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[lolasimms]

a lots gonna change pt.9

Summary: Married life isn’t great, infidelity ensues, and things change

I’m all of you guys’ mother and I will continue to feed you, also please don’t hate me :)

next chapter

The past four months and a half had been torture for you, it was as if there was an ongoing battle occurring in your brain. You were stuck between a rock and a hard place. The question; "Should I stay or should I go" engrained itself in your head. When finally you'd decided to go through with the divorce.

You'd had the support from your family and friends who assured you that you were doing the right thing. You'd gotten yourself a place not too far from your ex, to ensure Lila wasn't far from her. You had Lila during the week, with Ellie occasionally taking her for weekends, just until your custody date was settled. You'd both come to a mutual agreement that the best thing for the two of you was to seperate. However Ellie still had moments in which she would spiral and try and get you to take her back, but you never complied.

Your sister Nara took it upon herself to fly out to come support you and you couldn't have been happier to have her with you. With the support of her, Joel, Dina and Jesse you felt like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders,like you wouldn't have to be doing it all alone anymore. You also began seeing a therapist, except this time it was on your own, her name was Francine, and she was the best piece of solace you'd had. She'd truly made you feel like you'd be able to heal from all the damage that had been done.

Work was a great distraction, at first Abby had kept her distance and respected your need for space. Until you'd realised she only wanted to be there for you. You'd let her in, little by little only wanting to take things slow. Nothing sexual had happened between the two of you, as you still didn't feel right being touched by anyone other than Ellie. For years she was the only person you'd grown accustomed to and it frightened you to think about letting anyone other than her in.

Going through with the divorce was difficult but you only wanted what was best for Lila, and that was ending the relationship between you and Ellie and beginning a healthy co-parenting one. You knew getting back with Ellie would only mean you'd be in a relationship where you struggled with trust issues and insecurity. You just wanted the two of you to remain civil. That was exactly why you had decided not to fight Ellie for full custody, you'd give her an equal opportunity to bond and build a relationship with her daughter.

-

You can just take a seat over here Ms. Y/LN."  You we're still growing accustomed to not going by Ellie's last name, yours sounding foreign. The attorney as motions to the chair on his right. You hesitantly take a seat, then steal a quick glance at Ellie who is sitting across from you, her lawyer is seated to her left.

"Alright, we may start the proceedings now, Mr. Reynolds would you like to start" her defence asks, as he looks up at your lawyer.

"Sure, as displayed here my client is set on joint custody, with no asks for alimony or spousal support, she want's this to be fair and easy"

Ellie looks up at you in relief and visibly relaxes in her seat. You steal a glance at her but quickly look to the floor, to avoid making any further eye contact. You were a nervous wreck, the lump in your throat making you feel the need to scratch yourself, bite your nails, anything to make time pass.

"Ok, well if that is the case, Mrs. Williams would like to have her daughter on Friday to Sundays, due to work scheduling, is that okay with the defendant?" You nod your head at your lawyer, and he proceeds.

"Yes, my client is okay with that, however I'd like to discuss the deeds of the house. The two of them bought this house with the intent of sharing 50-50 assets, her name is on the papers so how would the defendant like to settle that?" You finally bring your gaze up to see Ellie, who's eyes were already on yours. She was fidgeting with her wedding ring, which she was still wearing despite your divorce being finalised weeks ago.

"My client doesn't mind, Mrs. Williams says Y/n can have the house, after all she will be the primary caretaker of their daughter" her lawyer says and you finally take it upon yourself to be vocal.

"I don't want it" you say, voice low and barely above a whisper, and your attorney turns to you with a glare. "We talked about this Y/n, this is a great deal for you" he whispers and you shake your head.

"No, I'd like for her to keep it, and I want my name off of the papers" you say aloud, and Ellie's hands visibly tense. It was the first time in months she had heard you speak more than three words. You try fighting back tears, but of course they come, flowing freely down your face and you wipe them in embarrassment.

"Alright, then that's settles it, anything else you'd like to discuss?" Her defence asks and your lawyer shakes his head no. The both of them stand up and shake hands, and your lawyer walks you out of the room, to congratulate you.

-

"Thank you Mr. Reynolds, I'm glad you were able to make it as easy and as fast as possible" He smiles and pats your shoulders.

"Please, call me Matt and its what I do, I'm just glad you got your clarity" his phone begins to vibrate and he picks it out of his pocket to respond.

"Im, sorry Y/N but it's my sons school I've got to get going, but I'm glad everything worked out in your favour"

"Thats fine, and once again thank you so much for everything" you wave him goodbye as he speed walks down the steps of the courthouse and you are left standing there in the heat, as you wait for your sister to come pick you up.

"Y/n?" you know who's voice it is, never in a million years would your forget her voice, and immediately you tense up at the touch of her hand that was on your shoulder.

"Can we talk?" Ellie asks, and you promptly remove her hand from your shoulder, leaving her red from embarrassment.

"I said everything I needed to, inside there Ellie" you refuse to make eye contact with her and she sighs desperately. She wears a simple black suit, the button of her blazer was left unopened and she had cut her hair a tad bit shorter than usual.

"I'm sorry, I don't know how many times I have to say it but I truly am sorry, I love you Y/n" she whispers, with tears in her eyes.

"You lied to me Ellie, we went to therapy and the whole time you were lying to me, you made me feel like a fool"

"I was doing it for your own good, I thought what you didn't know couldn't hurt you" You scoff and take a step down the stairs, desperately needing some space.

"Yeah cause it was 100 times easier to hear of your infidelity from Amelia" you spit, with sarcasm, the disdain for her ex-lover evident in your voice.

"I- Y/n she didn't mean anyth-" she tries but you cut her off swiftly.

"Don't fucking lie to my face and tell me she meant nothing, cause I know she did" Ellie sighs in frustration and runs a hand through her hair.

"I'm sorry" she whispers again, for what felt like the 1 millionth time.

"You can say sorry as many times as you'd like but I won't forgive you. You got the house, you've got your sanity and you get to see Lila, just let me be." You say and before she can continue, you get a message from Nara telling you she was here.

"I'm leaving now Ellie, I hope you're happy"

-

"Why the fuck, did you let her take the house?" Your sister was grilling you as the two of you sat on the balcony of her hotel room, sipping on red wine.

"Nara, that house, I couldn't take even if I wanted to, the memories are just too much." You confess, as you glance at the view of the waterfront. Her words are tuned out as you gaze at the sailboats, as they paraded down the canal. One by one, they went and you watched in awe as the catamaran's glided on the dark blue body of water.

"Y/n?"

"Y/n?" Nara calls a second time, but you are entranced by the sailboats.

"I think I wan't to buy a catamaran" you blurt out, as you are broken out of your trance and she stares at you in disbelief.

"You hate the water" she laughs as she pours, more wine into your half empty glass and you bring it to your lips, taking a sip.

"People change" you mutter under your breath, she proceeds to put her hand in yours and the rest of your evening is spent in comfortable silence, indulged in glasses of wine, and the sound of crashing waves and friendly chatter from the hotel bar.

-

"Momma, when is mommy coming back?" Lila questions, from the sofa, where she was seated with a small brown doll in her lap.

Ellie looks up from her laptop, where she was completing some documents from work and swallows thickly. This was the part that you and her hadn't discussed, the part where you find the right thing to say to your 3 year old kid.

"Mommy's not coming honey, she'll come pick you up tomorrow" she shuts her laptop lid, and walks over to the sofa to sit with her.

"But mommy and momma sleep together and I sleep in my bed?" She mumbles, the young girl trying to piece together why her mothers had stopped sleeping in the same house and bed.

"Now mommy and momma sleep in their own beds, my love" Ellie soothingly rubs her back and lifts her into her lap. Where the rest of the movie they watch is complete in sheer silence. Lila falls asleep, on the sofa and she takes her up to the room, to sleep with her as she couldn't bare the feeling of being alone.

"I love you honey, when I'm awake and when I sleep, I love you" she whispers into her daughters hair, as she kisses her goodnight.

-

"Pink please, momma" Lila says as she holds her hand out. The two of them had been playing all afternoon and she couldn't have been happier. If it weren't for the time she got to spend with her daughter she wasn't sure she'd survive the separation.

"Here you go baby" Ellie immediately grabs the thick crayon and places it in the toddlers hand and she accepts it graciously.

"Ok, almost done, don't look yet" she says in a serious tone, and she knows to not look, as the last thing she needed was a tantrum from her sassy daughter.

"Pleaseee, can I look now?" She asks and Lila sighs dramatically and lifts the paper quickly to her chest.

"Ok fine, ready?" Ellie nods and when Lila turns the paper towards her with a nervous giggle.

"Wow... it's beautiful honey" She can feel tears brimming from her eyes and she has to fight to keep them from spilling. She had drawn a messy yet clear picture of the three of you holding hands. With the labels "Momma" "Mommy" and "Me".

"Do I get to keep it, baby?" She asks as she lifts her from the stool and pulls her into her embrace and she nods with a wide grin on her face.

Shortly after she had packed up the crayons and began to pack up her toys, Ellie was startled by a few knocks at the door. Lila perks up from the couch and runs over to the door and she has to speed walk to stop her from answering it.

"Mommy!" The toddler screams as she reaches her hands up for her mother and you instantly pick her up, showering her in kisses. She then notices her aunt and does the same, to which Nara pecks her cheek and smiles.

"Hi Y/n, Nara good to see you again" Nara ignores her and you mutter a simple "Hi" as you avoid eye contact, something you had started doing ever since the day you had found out about her cheating.

"Is her bag packed?" You ask and she mentally curses herself for forgetting that you'd be coming to pick Lila up so soon.

"Uhhh no, but I can do it real quick"

"It's fine, she'll get them next time" you trail off as you nervously look too your sister who nods. She looks at the both of you and you hand Lila to Nara.

"Lila say bye to your mom" Nara finally speaks and the young child kisses Ellie goodbye and is led off to the car by her aunt.

"Can we talk Ellie?" You ask and her heart rate speeds up, she's not sure if you had forgiven her, or if you had changed your mind on the divorce but she had positive hopes, as this was the first time since the split that you had asked to speak to her alone.

-

"So you bought a house?" She tries to make sense of your words.

"Yeah, it's not far from here so we don't have to drive too long and it's close to her preschool." She nods at your words and shifts uncomfortably, the silence killing the both of you.

"So I'll be coming back tomorrow to come pick up all my stuff, her stuff can stay here, I'll buy her new shit that'll stay at my place" you say.

"I wish you didn't have to do all of this, Y/n" she finally breaks her silence and you're left scoffing.

"I did this? That's rich coming from the person who cheated on me" you laugh maniacally as she looks at you in disbelief.

"I know, it's my fault. I can't even apologise because I know it won't make a difference but I won't stop fighting to get you back." You shake your head and get up, having had enough of her words.

"I mean it Y/n I'm not going to stop until I get you back"

"Good luck with that Ellie"

-

Abby was in her office when she'd gotten a text from your personal contact. You'd never texted her from your personal phone before so she was surprised. The past few months the two of you had spent friendly time together. She knew you'd wanted space, to take things slow, so she gave you exactly that. She didn't want to screw her only chance up.

'Can you come to my office please, it's urgent.'

She was worried something had happened so immediately she got up and rushed to your office down the hall. She knocked on the door and heard a light "Come in" As soon as she entered you'd gotten off of your seat walking towards her. You grabbed her face down towards yours and began kissing her fervently. She was stuck in place, not believing if this was real or she was dreaming. You were desperately clawing at her biceps, pulling her towards the sofa that was against your office wall.

"What's this about?" She mumbles into your mouth as you push your tongue into her mouth, grinding against her vigorously.

"It's a celebration, I'm a free woman and I think it's time I let you fuck me" Her stomach lurches at your words and she can't help but let out a hard moan.

"Should we be doing this here, what if someone comes in" she smiles as she unbuttons your satin blouse, peppering kisses against your neck.

"We can discuss all the ways that this is wrong after you've thoroughly fucked me" you don't know what's gotten into you, but you needed to feel her inside you or else you’d combust.

You were tired of waiting. Ellie had had her fun for five months straight, so why couldn't you? You'd waited until your divorce, kept Abby hanging but that was not how things were going to go now. It was finally time you focused on what was good for you.

taglist;

@moonlightdivine @maybe-cece @macaroni676 @sawaagyapong @katiemars @ellieseater @dakota-dream @joliettes @hebrokeimup @bratydoll @wakasaaa @catostrophiclesbian @l0v3e1i @dinas-a-bird

[iveofficiallygonemad]

Was thinking abt this post abt "professor overshare" vs "professor brick wall" with wrightworth.

Basically: Wright is prof brick wall. He seems open cuz he drops random ass lore abt his attorney days but refuses to elaborate unless they have extra time at the end of class. He usually makes it so they usually don't, but when they do it's behind the scenes investigation stuff they could learn from.

(Ex. Don't confront the murderer or you could get accused of that crime (redd white) or tazed (von karma))

All in all he Seems open but none of his students know anything about him.

Edgeworth is def prof overshare. He doesn't seem like it because he's private, but he's also an open book. His Screensaver is Pess. He has a steel samurai statue in his office. He's looking into the distance fondly (no eyebrow crease) and someone jokes he's prolly thinking about his husband (he was) and he talks about how he inspired him to change himself for the better and also re-evaluate what it means to be a prosecutor. I think he tends to go on tangents but also mentally knows where he should be in his lecture by a set time, and will quickly shut it down and go back to lecturing once he realizes. Since Logic Chess is his thing I think that for cases he was involved in he'd walk students thru his thought process and what he'd do differently now. I also think he'd inevertently drop office gossip from back then. (Ex. "I left the research library early because so and so just walked in and she was going through a messy divorce....)

The first time their students see them interact is when Wright walks into his class 10 minutes in, ans Edgeworth's Immediately like What's Going On. And Phoenix is like, "I heard that Larry's testifying at this case in 30 minutes and wanted to know if you'd go." He has lecture so no, but then he explains to the class that Larry's a mutual friend yada yada another tangent.

In my mind this during the 7 year gap where Wright not an attorney but is working to figure out who framed him and coming up w the jury system. At that point I think he'd be too cautious to "just pop in" without knowing Edgeworth's alone to work on case stuff.

Kinda like the idea of Franziska being a guest lecturer for Edgeworth. She talks about her prosecuting days and what parts of that helped her get into international law/interpol but can't talk abt the experience she gained after she got in. I think she'd roast him or Phoenix and that's how the students find out Who the other is married to lmao.

[biscuitblinkeu]

It’s Mutual, Let’s Get A Divorce! [1]

Park Chaeyoung x Fem!reader -> Not Requested

Prompt: Roseanne Park, the hotshot cold-hearted Domestic Relations Attorney; she’s an ace in the courtroom, but she’s got the phrase hard to love pinned dead in the middle of her forehead, and paired with her devotion to work…she’s just not cut out for relationships. Then there’s you, a playful and nonchalant mother stuck in a sinking ship called marriage. Through divorce, you meet Roseanne who struggles to keep things professional. She tries hard to keep those concrete walls up but it’s inevitable they crash down. You’re a wrecking ball, a force of nature; it’s a perfect match!

………………………………………………………………………………

Little Steps Kindergarten, the sign read as you drove closer to the building. You were picking up your daughter from school.

The first thing you see is the parking lot is decorated with chalk designs, pictures, and drawings, all a mix of bright, colorful scribbles and crudely drawn animals. (The kids tried.)

A few kids are running around the fenced front yard, chasing each other with sticks, bugs, and whatnot. Others play on slides, in the sandbox, or on the monkey bars while some are just sitting, waiting patiently for their parents to pick them up; the quiet ones. Your daughter was a quiet child, not as outgoing as she should be, her teachers think. You’d say you have no idea why she's like that, but you do.

You had to park across from the school because the parking lot the school owns is for teachers and staff, you're also not fond of waiting in the long pickup line. Before you could even cross the street and get to the entrance, you saw Nala running over, her arms stretched out in excitement, yelling, “Mommy!!”

You would scold her for running across the street so carelessly, but seeing her so happy to see you, you decide against it. You open your arms to pick her up, swinging her around as she giggles.

Shortly after, there’s a teacher running up to you; Mrs. Manoban, a black-haired teacher in her mid-thirties who’s extremely nice and sweet to everyone. She also babysits Nala when you or her father aren’t around. She holds Nala’s backpack in her hand who huffs and puffs— trying to catch her breath. You could only assume that she’s been running after the little girl. “Hello, Mrs. (Y/l/n)” She greets, so energetic despite the obvious exhaustion written all over her face.

“Hi, Mrs. Manoban. How are you?” You ask politely, smiling back at the woman.

“I’m great! Thank you.” She beams, her dark brown eyes crinkling at the edges, “you see I was just playing tag with the children…and then Nala decided to run across the street so I got scared, but then I saw you, so all is well.” She expresses relieved and hands you Nala’s backpack.

“She was very good today— she always is.” You grin at that, reaching over to give Nala a light squeeze on her hand. You say a quick goodbye after that, as Mrs. Manoban has to attend to the other kids.

Nala lets you take her backpack as you walk to your car. “Woah! This is heavy, what have you got in here?” You joke, lifting the bag up and down.

“We made clay plates today! I’ll show you at home!” You nod with a smile, taking her hand and helping her into her car seat.

“Are we really gonna do something fun today mommy?” Nala asks you as you buckle her into her car seat. “Yep. Though it won’t be until later.” You tell her, and you couldn't help but feel a little dejected, having previously promised her you would do something many other times, like go buy ice cream or take her shopping— she loves shopping. And that never happened. However, this time is different, because now you have a little bit of freedom.

“What will we do? Can I know?” Nala’s curiosity takes hold of her, and she stares up expectantly at you. “I don’t think I can tell you. It's a secret,” you answer, though you don’t know what you’re doing yourself. She pouts but compiles nonetheless. On the way back home you stop and get Nala ice cream, which makes her very happy.

Later, you planned to take her shopping or do something to make up for missed time with her. You’ve only just gotten to a point where you could work from home, not in your office. You do real estate and own your own company so it’s been hard on your time together.

You got home about twenty minutes later. You shut the door behind you before helping your five year old take off her shoes.

“Run upstairs and take your coat off, and then we’ll get any homework out of the way and go out, okay?

“Kay!” You hear her footsteps retreating, but don’t hear them pad up the stairs. It’s then when you notice most of the lights were on, and that the TV was playing. You walked into the living room, the main source of noise, and saw your husband, Jaylyn, swinging a giggling Nala around.

“Jay?” You call from the entrance of the living room. You tried to smile, key word, tried. He put Nala down and cleared his throat, “Why don’t you go do what your Mom said?”

She left the room and he stood awkwardly, not really knowing what to do with himself under your scrutinization.

“Room?” He gestured to your bedroom and you both made your way in there. He sat down on the bed. You turned to him.

“We can’t do this anymore.” You sit on the desk, arms crossed with a plain expression on your face. You were tired of your husband disappearing without a word and then coming back with no heads-up. He never told you where he went either, but you had an inkling. And this “Inkling” of a thought would have hurt you if you still loved him as much as you did a couple months ago.

It’s faded, now on its last strings: romantic wise, just like your marriage.

“I know, and I’m sorry,” he takes his glasses off and rubs his eyes, “I’ve been trying to…to…” he trails off looking at the carpet, searching his mind for the right words.

“Love me like before?” You say and he appears shocked, but it’s not for long. He laughs dryly, shaking his head humorously, “I suppose, yes.” You were very observant, he wouldn’t be surprised if you knew much earlier.

“Okay, but what does that have to do with not being in your daughter's life as much as you should? I can excuse you being that way to me, but to Nala? It’s not okay. She misses you when you leave. I can’t keep making up excuses for you.” You raise your voice a bit, not liking how you’re starting to sound like an angry wife. But you were.

He doesn’t respond, simply staring at you through his frames, guiltily. You pinch the bridge of your nose, “I can see this isn’t going to last, but I want you to be in her life.” You said softer. You knew what it was like only having one parent present, it can make or break someone. You fear that because Jaylyn has not been in her life much this past year, to be her other pillar of support, that’s why she wasn’t as outgoing as other kids. She’s smart, and she’s heard you two argue before, she must have an idea.

“I will, I will. I love our daughter, she’s my pride and joy, so, I promise. Are you suggesting we divorce?” His voice grew softer. “I’m okay with that if that’s what it takes. I don’t like that I’m causing this— I’d like to fix it. I want you to be happy.”

You’ve moved to sit on the bed next to him, “Yes, and I want you to be happy as well. I won’t try and pry what you’ve been doing when you leave, you can tell me another time—“

“Mommy! Daddy!”

“We’re in here, Darling!” Your husband yelled, leaning towards the door. A minute later tiny hurried footsteps approached and Nala’s head popped through the cracked open door.

“I finished my homework, can we go out now? Will daddy come?” Her eyes were shining and you're a bit glad the last question wasn’t directed towards you. That’s a lot of pressure and if you’d have said no, the shine in her eyes might dull. She was clearly excited.

“Of course.” He replied, smiling at her. She ran off to get her coat on and he turned back to you, “we’ll talk about this later tonight, but right now let’s have fun?“ You just laughed and shook your head, letting him help you up.

You ended up going to get ice cream again and then went to Warner Bros.’ Studios, more specifically, the Hogwarts Castle exhibit. You walked with your arms entangled with Jaylyn’s as Nala ran a few steps ahead of you.

“Mommy look!” She pointed the wand you had bought from Oliver’s shop at you before pressing the button, the wand glowed and made a sshoosh noise.

“That’s so cool! Are you gonna be a wizard?” You enthused, watching as she nodded her head proudly. Later, you ended up buying yourself a Gryffindor cloak and scarf, Jaylyn a Slytherine, and Nala a Hufflepuff set.

“I’m gonna miss this.” Jaylyn commented as you two watched Nala walk a couple feet ahead of you exploring the Platform 9 ¾, his words were directed toward you. After this, he wouldn’t get to do a lot of things like this with you anymore.

“Me too.”

That night, after your daughter fell asleep you talked about the divorce. Deciding on starting the tedious process tomorrow.

You woke up alone in the house the next morning, a note with Jaylyn’s handwriting and a doodle drawn by your daughter wishing you a good day and other things. Nala would be with her Grandparents for a couple days and you would see Jaylyn later.

You got dressed in formal clothes for later and put a heavy coat on because it was snowing. Then, headed out for coffee. You went to the café you always went to and ordered the usual Latte.

“Thank you.” You grab the coffee cup from her. The barista looks at you with a look you can only decipher as worry, much to your confusion. You brush it off and continue to turn around, only to crash into a body.

Your coffee jerks out your grasp from the collision, the scalding hot beverage splashing all over their tan blazer, turning it a deep brown. The remnants drip down your sleeves and the cup drops to the floor, but you could care less.

Your eyes almost popped out upon seeing the Saint Laurent logo on the coat.

Guilty, your gaze travels up to your victim; you're in trouble. The woman looks back at you indifferently, frigidly. She doesn’t give away any signs that tell you she’s angry or irritated, and that’s what scares you, she’s unreadable.

You had expected her to jump or react to getting hot liquid spilt on them, but she hadn’t at all.

She has an air about her you think only high class, or the arrogantly rich carry. The power suit says it all. She’s a tall blonde with the face of a model. Her dark eyes burn into your face, most definitely judging you. She was very aloof, you noticed. If anything, it seemed like she was one step away from walking out the door. You jump into action, words spilling out your mouth before you could stop them.

“I’m so, so sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going and—” You start to ramble, grabbing a handful of napkins out the dispenser and start dabbing at her blazer, she stiffens uncomfortably.

“Stop.”

“I didn’t even know someone was behind me and now look what I did. I’m sorry. I’ve—” Her nose scrunches up and her brows furrow, you're just smearing it more with those cheap napkins.

She catches the barista's eye who looks at her helplessly, embarrassed for her. The barista tried to warn you someone was behind you.

“Stop.” She repeated, a bit louder, thinking you hadn’t heard her the first time. You were determined to ruin her coat, weren’t you?

“—Your coat, it looks expensive. This coffee is hard to get out of things that are lightly colored. I know firsthand, unfortunately. But you can—” You continued on.

Her jaw clenches and she has a strong urge to roll her eyes. Were you hard of hearing? Blind, too, maybe?

She grabs your wrist, pulling it and the soaked mess you hold away from her. “Stop. You’re making it worse.” Her tone could be considered flat, annoyed. You didn’t hear it that way, though.

You, who had finally registered the hand on your wrist that stopped your clumsy movements, were taken by surprise. Her hand was warm against your skin, you thought. She should feel like a block of ice, not a breathing, living, human. You couldn’t believe the cold, but soothing voice you heard belonged to her.

Your neck heated up in embarrassment. Sometimes you don’t realize your rambling until it’s too late. She let go of you. Your arms dropped uselessly to your sides.

“Oh.” You gazed at her blazer, wincing at how the spot did indeed get worse. You were going to suggest buying her a new coat but she turned on her heel and left the café. Leaving you standing in the middle of the shop with eyes on you, quite dumbly.

“Would you like me to remake that?” The barista’s sympathetic voice reached your ears, she pointed to the cup on the ground.

“Yes…thank you, again.”

You sipped on your coffee as you drove back to your house where you would meet up with Jaylyn to head to the law firm. There, you would file the divorce papers.

You knew this whole ordeal wouldn't be easy, not to mention how long the process takes, but you've done your best to prepare yourself. When you pull into the driveway you honk, two minutes later Jaylyn jogs out and up to your window. He taps on it and you roll it down.

“I just follow you, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll send you the location on maps in case you lose me.” He gives you a curt before hopping in his Range Rover. You pull out the driveway and begin to make your way there.

The Chichu Law firm building was basically a skyscraper, you couldn’t imagine how many floors it had. You walked through the glass doors, Jaylyn by your side, and walked to the front desk.

A man who had been signing papers looked up at you before snorting, he spoke in a croaky voice, “Name?”

“(Y/n) (L/n) and Jaylyn Smith.” He hummed before shuffling through some papers, peeking up at you through his tiny glasses, he picked up the phone.

“Yes…Okay…Main floor. Thank you.”

Soon after his call a brunette woman wearing black formal clothes came from the elevator and strided up to the two of you. Her red lips were formed in a wide smile as she approached, pumps clacking against the marble. Her eyes were catlike, they appraised the two of you and she was decked in Chanel.

“Jennie Kim. It’s nice to meet you two, I’ll be taking Mr. Smith with me and your lawyer will be a good friend of mines, Mrs. (L/n). We’ll go over the papers and help you with any questions.” You both shook her hand for a greeting.

You had to split with Jaylyn, having been assigned different lawyers. You felt intimidated, you always did when you went anywhere that had to do with court. You remember going to court the first time for stealing your father’s car and getting caught at a party. You never did it again after going.

Your heels clacked against the marble floors as you followed the man and you wondered if he was annoyed by the sound because the building was quiet. You walked down many hallways, you would’ve looked around but your eyes were glued to the man’s bald spot. It was just so…shiny. You’d think the few strands of hair he brushed over it were decoration, to enhance what couldn’t be hidden…

You took another left and he gestured to the dark oak door you stood in front of. This was where you were supposed to be. He turned to you.

“Your lawyer will be here in a few minutes, have a good day.”

“Thank you.” He nodded before walking off. You hoped you could remember the way back to the lobby because your help just left.

You opened the door and sat down, eyes curiously wandering around their office. It was very minimal, like everything in the room was here because it was needed, save for the picture frames on the desk turned away from you. There were little bits of personality; a guitar was propped up in the corner, probably being used for free time. There was a mini fridge and a container on the side decked with snacks. Polaroids of different places, people, objects. An incense was being burned, you could smell hints of jasmine, musk, cedar, lemon, and ginger.

You picked at your fingernails as you waited, your gaze being drawn to the picture frames pointed away from you once again. It was a matter of curiosity you told yourself, and besides, it wouldn’t hurt if you just took a peek. You wanted to see what your lawyer looked like, all you were told was that she was a woman.

You reached out, you were in the midst of turning the picture frame around when the doorknob turned and someone walked in. You had no doubt you were caught in the act, touching things that weren’t yours. But to your defense, they didn’t even knock.

“Might I ask what you are doing?” A smoky, accented voice inquired.

You turned around, an innocent smile on your face only for it to fade as the seconds went by, you were met with familiar eyes.

There’s a chill in the air.

Would you like to continue? ٩( ᐛ )و

A/N: This chapter was 5 words away from 3000 lol

[vrassociateslawfirm]

Maintenance Rights for Women in Different Religions

The transition to life after divorce is rarely easy. For women, securing maintenance rights is essential for regaining stability. Different religions provide varying levels of support, each with specific provisions. An inter-religious comparison can reveal hidden nuances in these legal systems, which possess unique characteristics. Understanding these details is crucial for women to obtain their fair share during divorce proceedings, safeguarding their financial stability and dignity, independent of religious affiliations.

This blog explores the critical role of maintenance rights in empowering women to become independent and self-sufficient post-divorce across various religious contexts.

Hindu Laws In Hinduism, the rights of divorced women are governed by the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955. According to Section 25 of the Act, a court may grant maintenance to either spouse, considering various factors such as the financial situations of both parties, their individual needs, and other relevant circumstances. Additionally, the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act of 1956 stipulates that a Hindu wife, whether divorced or not, is entitled to receive maintenance from her husband throughout her lifetime if she is unable to support herself.

Muslim Laws The Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, establishes maintenance rights for divorced women under Islamic law. According to these provisions, a divorced woman is entitled to receive maintenance during her 'Iddat' period, which lasts approximately three menstrual cycles or three lunar months. Beyond the 'Iddat' period, the responsibility of providing for any children remains with the father until they reach the age of puberty. If there are no children, the husband's obligation to provide maintenance concludes at the end of the 'Iddat' period.

Christian Laws Christian legislation in India, while not detailing specific provisions following legal separation, allows each partner to request court-ordered maintenance if the other spouse's income exceeds what is necessary to support themselves and their children. The Indian Divorce Act of 1869 ensures that divorced Christian women have guaranteed maintenance rights. Section 37 of the Act authorizes the court to award maintenance either as a lump sum or in monthly payments, taking into account factors such as the financial needs of the wife and the husband's ability to pay.

Parsi Laws The Parsis Marriage and Divorce Act of 1936 governs the maintenance rights for divorced Parsi women. Under this law, a Parsi wife may be awarded alimony if she is unable to support herself. The court determines the monthly alimony amount by considering various factors, including the wife's financial needs, the husband's income, and the standard of living maintained during the marriage.

Sikh Laws Maintenance rights for divorced Sikh women are typically governed under the same laws that apply to Hindus, as there is no separate Sikh personal law for such matters in India. In the event of a divorce, a Sikh woman is entitled to financial support from her husband if she is unable to sustain herself. The amount of maintenance awarded is determined by the court, taking into account factors like her financial needs and her husband's ability to pay.

Conclusion Ultimately, the right to maintenance for women after divorce varies under the diverse religious laws in IndiaHindu, Muslim, Christian, Parsi, and Sikh. Each set of laws has its own specific procedures and criteria for maintenance. However, a fundamental principle remains: regardless of fault in the dissolution of marriage, women should not face financial destitution and should be able to sustain a basic standard of living post-divorce. It is vital for divorced women to be aware of their rights under these varying religious laws and to seek expert legal assistance to navigate these complexities effectively.

How VR Associates Law Firm, the Best Mutual Divorce can Help We understand, going through a divorce can be very hard. Navigating through a mutual consent divorce with ease legally requires professional help, and emotional strength. A mutual divorce process is a procedure best handled by experts. Thus it is best advised to get help with your mutual divorce agreement from a respectable firm like ours.

VR Associates Law Firm is undisputedly the best Mutual Divorce Attorney owing to our experienced team, full-fledged legal support, a client-centered approach, transparent communication, and a successful track record. Serving clients through the mutual divorce process with personalised service and expertise, we are committed to the high ethical standards and professionalism.

[suryablogs123]

Easy Process of Getting Divorce: Mutual Consent Divorce in India

Looking to understand mutual consent divorce in India? We help you to break down each step, from filing the petition to the final judgment, making the process easier and less stressful. Discover how to make your divorce journey smoother and more manageable.

First, File the Divorce Petition

The first and foremost step in a mutual consent divorce is to file a divorce petition in the family court.

Now the question may arise: How can I get a quick divorce? Following Once the petition is filed, the court will schedule a hearing to record both husband and wife’s statements on oath. This is the simple beginning of the divorce process.

It is a formal beginning to the legal process of a parting of ways, a notice to the other party that one is indeed desirous of a dissolution of marriage.

You Both Should Have Respective Lawyers

Even though a mutual consent divorce is totally based on agreement between both husband and wife, it is still important for each person to have their own lawyer or attorney on their side at the same time you don’t know How much does it cost for divorce in India? But that is totally based on the circumstances.

Independent Advice: A lawyer can provide unbiased legal advice to ensure that each spouse understands their rights, obligations, and options.

Document Preparation: Lawyers will help draft the divorce petition, settlement agreements, and any other necessary documents, ensuring everything is legally sound and meets court needs or requirements.

Representation in Court: Each lawyer represents their client during court proceedings, including Read more...

[mangobone]

Twenty questions

So I’ve been tag by the magnificent @cupofteaandstars and even though it’s been like a month since she did, I had much fun thinking about the answers so here I’m sharing them:

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

9 under my current pseudonym!

2. Whats your total AO3 word count?

Just 21,512. Which is very little for 9 fics in a four year effort but I’m proud of it 😌

3. What fandom do you write for?

Now just for Stranger. I’m really tempted to post for Life and something small for Divorce Attorney Shin though.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

- Into the treeline - Stranger 비밀의숲

-Steady heartbeat - Stranger 비밀의숲

-A deer can jump in front of you anytime - Stranger 비밀의숲

- A whole new face - The Avengers

- The Little Prosecutor -Stranger 비밀의숲

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Always dude. Always. If you take the time to write a comment, I’ll take the time to reply.

I understand why some don’t. But I get too happy not to engage 🫶🏼

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending ?

That’s a good question because I love angst and I think it must be either whatever I used to write for Avengers (that Tony Stark can’t be written without some angst) and Longing, though with the last line the angst is lighter.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I suspect it might be The Little Prosecutor.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Haven’t. Hope it remains like that!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I tried once. Longing was suppose to take that direction but decided against it, half because I chicken out and half because I fear the OOC situation.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Not usually, no. I admire people who do on a regular basis though!

11. Whats the craziest one you’ve written?

One I haven’t posted, a Stranger story with basic elements from Kafka’s Metamorphosis. I’m quite stuck with that one I’m afraid.

12. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I hope not! I guess that’s another good thing about being in small fandoms!

13. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I’ve translated my own fics, does that count?

14. Whats your all time favorite ship?

Right now it’s Hwang Shi Mok/Han Yeo Jin.

15. Whats a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I only have one WIP published and I’m just hoping to finish that one 👉🏼👈🏼

16. What are your writing strenghts ?

This is the hardest questions of all; I guess Im good at imagining scenarios and I try to get technical details right.

17. What are your writing weaknesses ?

Complete lack of planning which results in slow and short fics and chapters. And sometimes the balance between dialogue and description is elusive.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I’d try to avoid it as much as possible though it’s true that some things are near to impossible to fully translate.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Can’t remember exactly but perhaps for The Justice League. I read fics long before but it was years before I’d get enough courage to write AND publish anything.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Funny enough, it’s the least liked fic El Clavo - Stranger 비밀의숲 for which I hope to write another chapter of before translating it to English. That and a fic about a dark Hwang Shi Mok which I won’t post until I finish but again that might take years!

Tagging: well I think practically all my mutuals have been tagged already but if you haven’t, please consider yourself tagged!

[rainbowcoloredpalmtrees]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who reblogged something from you! get to know your mutuals and followers (ू•‧̫•ू⑅)

It took me a while to gather all my things but it’s good!!!

1. I had a phone call with my grandma today. It’s always weird to reach out but I missed her and we had a good 30 minute chisme session. They’re not divorced just separated and it’s bc she cheated on him a second time!

2. On the topic of reaching out (look at me taking initiative) one of my friends agreed to go to the art gallery with me on Saturday and next weekend I’m gonna visit another friend that I haven’t seen in forever.

3. On the topic of friends (and also reaching out 🤔) my bestie of besties just in general who then led me to other besties on tumblr that I haven’t spoken to but those tag games are special to me. All bc I sent a bang chan thirst trap 🤪

4. The attorney I share my office with added art to it and idk if it is or is just similar to one of my favorite art styles but it’s way more personalized now and isn’t a cube of sadness (we don’t have a window). I just have to find something to hang my fan with and also maybe some of those indigo art things that came with the album but I think it’ll look good together

5. I haven’t been to a concert in a while but I was thinking about nauseous by the rose and it was reaaaallly good live. The “you’re so loud and so obnoxious” part is so fun to me.

[wedesignyouny]

BG Divorce Lawyers: Advantages of a Queens, New York, Uncontested Divorce Attorney

SMOOTH SAILING: THE BENEFITS OF AN UNCONTESTED DIVORCE LAWYER IN QUEENS, NY

Introduction:

Facing the difficult decision of divorce is never easy, but it doesn’t have to be overly complicated and contentious. In Queens, NY, an uncontested divorce lawyer can be your guiding light during this challenging time. An uncontested divorce offers a more amicable and efficient process, allowing both parties to reach agreements on crucial issues without the need for lengthy court battles. In this blog post, we will explore the advantages of hiring an uncontested divorce lawyer at BG Divorce Lawyers to navigate you through this emotional journey and achieve a swift and peaceful resolution.

Understanding Uncontested Divorce:

Before diving into the benefits, let’s first clarify what an uncontested divorce entails. In an uncontested divorce, both spouses work together to resolve issues such as child custody, division of assets, spousal support, and more, without the intervention of a judge. This collaborative approach fosters open communication, reduces conflicts, and lays the groundwork for an amicable separation. An experienced uncontested divorce lawyer plays a crucial role in mediating discussions and ensuring that your rights and interests are protected throughout the process.

Streamlined Process:

One of the primary advantages of choosing an uncontested divorce is the streamlined legal process. Traditional divorces can be time-consuming, costly, and emotionally draining, as they involve numerous court appearances and legal battles. However, with an uncontested divorce lawyer by your side, you can avoid lengthy court procedures and resolve your divorce swiftly and efficiently. This approach not only saves time but also minimizes stress, allowing you to focus on healing and moving forward with your life.

Cost-Effectiveness:

Divorce proceedings can be financially burdensome, particularly in a contested divorce where legal fees can quickly escalate. In contrast, an uncontested divorce typically involves lower legal expenses because both parties are working towards a mutual agreement. By hiring an uncontested divorce lawyer from BG Divorce Lawyers, you can receive professional guidance without breaking the bank, ensuring that your resources are better utilized to secure your post-divorce future.

Customized Solutions:

No two divorces are the same, and each couple faces unique challenges during the process. An uncontested divorce lawyer understands this and tailors solutions to suit your specific needs. Whether it’s crafting a comprehensive parenting plan or negotiating property division, the lawyer will work closely with you to create a customized agreement that aligns with your goals and priorities. This personalized approach empowers you to make informed decisions about your future and the well-being of your children.

Preserving Relationships:

Divorce can strain even the most amicable relationships, but an uncontested divorce fosters a more cooperative environment, helping preserve essential relationships, especially when children are involved. By choosing a collaborative approach, you can lay the groundwork for effective co-parenting and maintain a healthier post-divorce relationship with your former spouse. An uncontested divorce lawyer acts as a mediator, promoting understanding and communication between both parties.

Conclusion:

Navigating the complexities of divorce is undeniably challenging, but with the assistance of an uncontested divorce lawyer from BG Divorce Lawyers in Queens, NY, the process can become significantly more manageable. Through open communication, cost-effective resolutions, and tailored solutions, an uncontested divorce empowers you to embrace a new chapter in your life with less emotional turmoil. Remember, you don’t have to go through this journey alone – a compassionate uncontested divorce lawyer is here to guide you towards a peaceful resolution and a brighter future.

CONTACT INFO

Beckerman & Granados PLLC

118-35 Queens Blvd. Suite 1240 Forest Hills, N.Y. 11375

 info@bgmatlaw.com

(718) 374-5642

(718) 732-2099

[lizard-queen-izzy]

for the ask game,,, 1, 23, 31 and 32,,,

BONE! My dear mutual!

1. Who is/are your comfort character(s)?

Ok, we're doing an abridged list, and I'm not explaining any of these [these are in no particular order btw]-

•Cath(er) Avery - Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

•Venus - We Know The Devil

•Miles Edgeworth - Ace Attorney

•Haruhi Fujioka - Ouran Highschool Host Club

•Jason Todd - DC Comics

•Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch - Carry On trilogy by Rainbiw Rowell

•Jonathan Sims - The Magnus Archives

•Percy Jackson - Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

•Aza Holmes - Turtles All The Way Down by John Green

•Amity Blight - The Owl House

•Raven Queen - Ever After High

23. How do you feel about chilly weather?

I don't mind chilly weather, it depends how cold we're talking though. Because I have low iron and poor circulation so I run naturally cold by default, so if it's too cold I will be suffering. But I will always take being cold over being warm, and my fashion leads better to layers usually anyway so. But overall, it gets a general plus from me.

31. What type of music keeps you grounded?

Pop-punk/rock, divorced-dad rock, angry woman country.

32. Do you have a favorite towel?

Huh. Come to think of it, maybe. I have one that used to be a beach towel that I really like, but between the ones I use for my hair I definitely do and it's the green one that has a little button to keep it from falling off my head.