When people think of court, a typical image might be a long line of people waiting to find out their fate. However, the divorce process can sometimes become complicated when parties disagree on the best course of action. In those cases, they may opt in favor of a temporary hearing. Here are six things to expect when you go to court for a temporary hearing during your divorce.

1. You might have to hire a lawyer.
Before you go to court for a temporary hearing, you should prepare for the fact that you will most likely hire an attorney. The judge may require that one of the parties or both parties hire an attorney before they make a formal presentation on the matter in question.

2. There is a possibility that the judge will determine issues by default.
A default hearing occurs when a party fails to respond to a filing, attend a court date, or otherwise show up when required. This can happen if you fail to submit the necessary filing for one of the phases of your divorce. If this happens to you, you will not have a chance to present your case, and the judge may decide in your absence.

3. You and the opposing party might have to compromise.
In some cases, the judge may need to make decisions that do not necessarily align with the parties’ interests. To reach an agreement, both parties must be proactive and willing to compromise. It is important to remember that if you both formally agree on a decision, there is no need for a trial and no need for a judgment.
The court will then decide based only on what is in front of it.

4. Any agreements will be on paper.
When parties agree on the terms, they write up a formal document stating the terms of their agreement. Once both parties are in agreement, they can either have a lawyer do this, or they can do it themselves. Sometimes, people write up this document together and then sign it. In other cases, one person is designated to take care of this while the other one takes care of another matter, and then both meet up to ensure that everything was agreed upon properly and all documents have been appropriately signed.

5. People can reschedule their hearing dates.
One of the biggest parts of divorce is the disruption of the parties’ lives, from issues regarding children, finances, and other matters. As a result, one party can decide to change their hearing date for a temporary hearing or even a final divorce hearing. The judge may be lenient when it comes to allowing you to reschedule your temporary hearing if an issue arises at the time of your initial court date.

6. You may need to bring evidence with you.
To finalize your divorce, you need to bring certain forms of evidence with you when you go to court. You will have to provide evidence such as forms that prove the dissolution of the marriage, proof that the other party received their copy of the forms, financial information, and other documents. The judge can only dismiss your case if you bring enough of these documents.

The issues in a divorce—who will pay for what, who gets to take care of what, who gets to make decisions about the children—can get very complicated. If you and your spouse disagree on whether or not you should be able to reach a temporary agreement, then it might be best for both of you to agree on a lawyer beforehand and go through the process step by step