Divorce Definitions

Alimony A payment made by one spouse to another pending divorce or separation. Absolute divorce A divorce in which the marriage is completely dissolved and both parties become single. Divorce agreement A divorce agreement spells out the terms of the divorce and the relationship between the two spouses after the divorce. These agreements usually cover property division, child custody and child plans, debt division, spousal support, and any other relevant issues related to the divorce. Legal Separation A court order arranging the terms (custody, support, etc.) under which a married couple will live separately. This addresses the same issues as divorce, but does not completely dissolve the marriage. Joint custody A form of child custody that grants both parents joint legal custody, joint physical custody, or both joint legal custody and joint physical custody. Rehabilitative Alimony Rehabilitative alimony refers to alimony that is given to a spouse so that the spouse may “rehabilitate” herself or himself in the sense of acquiring greater earning power or training in order to become self-supporting. Annulment The legal dissolution of a marriage. In an annulment, the marriage is treated as though it never existed. Abandonment When a parent leaves a child without enough care, supervision, support, or parental contact for an excessive period of time. Supervised visitation A form of visitation in which an adult supervisor must be present when the child is visiting with the non-custodial parent. Reasonable visitation A form of visitation in which the parents work out a schedule of visitation for the non-custodial parent.

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	Did You Know?
	In divorce actions, mediators often are involved in custody and visitation disputes. In some jurisdictions (particularly large urban areas), courts require mediation of custody and visitation disputes. The mother and father must talk with a court-appointed mediator to try to resolve the problem before putting their case before a judge. The mediator cannot force a resolution, but the parties can be told to try mediation before coming to court to ask a judge to decide the issue.