One route to end your marriage in Ohio is to file for a dissolution which is a viable alternative so long as both parties agree to the terms.

The time has come to end your marital union, but you’re not so sure how you want to go about doing that. In this recession you’re watching every penny and don’t want to spend a fortune folding the marriage. Dissolution does cost less than a divorce, but there is a condition you need to adhere to, and that is both parties need to be on the same page and agree to the terms.

There is another route to follow when you want out of your marriage in Ohio besides divorce or dissolution – annulment. Keep in mind though that each category has different requirements that need to be met, and they need to be discussed with an expert Dayton divorce attorney before proceeding.

If you’re considering going the divorce route, you actually have a legal separation and then the final "end" to the marriage as judged by a court, providing certain grounds for proceeding this way exist.

On the other hand, in a situation where you prefer to dissolve the marriage, your attorney would explain you have a no-fault ending and you both need to be in agreement on "all" of the terms for ending the marriage. For example, division of property, spousal support, child support and parental rights – all contentious issues when in the midst of a divorce. However, if you want a dissolution, you need to bury the hatchet and get on with your life.

As we’ve already discussed, dissolutions in Ohio are slightly less expensive than litigating a divorce settlement. Other advantages are that there are no court decisions made because you’ve agreed on how to terminate the marriage. This route also means that you don’t have the divorce plaintiff versus defendant scenario, which moves things along much faster.

Thinking annulment is the better way to go? This requires a decree from a court stating the marriage is legally invalid because when the parties were married, there was a defect at that time. What the decree actually says is that the marriage never existed as opposed to terminating it. Typically speaking, annulments are granted in cases of mental incompetence, fraud, duress, bigamy, underage marriages and non-consummation.

If push comes to shove and neither of you are able to agree on anything, you may choose a contested divorce or an uncontested divorce. Having said that however, if you want to save money, the cheapest route and the quickest one is opting for dissolution. This is one more reason to consult with an experienced Dayton divorce attorney to find out which route makes the most sense for you.