As a paralegal, our work is just beginning. We now have to compile all the information we have gathered during the case along with the Judge’s order or the Mediated Settlement Agreement and put all that information into an initial draft of a final order. That takes time.
We have to put together a document that will contain all of the final decisions regarding such things as the sale of the house, the property split between the parties, and all the details dealing with the children (the rights and duties, possession and access, child support, passport information, and healthcare coverage).
This final document in a divorce matter is the document the parties will use to complete the division of the community property. It is also the document that parents will live under for the next several years to determine when the parents have possession and access to the children, child support, and what rights and duties each parent has with regard to their children, such as medical decisions and educational decisions.
During this process, client contact is very important. You know your property, bank accounts, etc. better than we do. So when your case is settled and your paralegal calls and says, “I need. . .” be ready to help pull the information together so the process can go smoothly as possible. When we send you the draft to review, please take your time and carefully go through each page. This will be your Bible for the next few years – it deserves your full attention.