Note that information given in this section cannot take the place of a lawyer. For legal divorce advice about your specific situation, you must consult a qualified divorce lawyer. See our disclaimer.

"We were only married for two years and don't have a lot of assets. Do we really have to go through the whole divorce process?"

Yes, I am afraid you do. A marriage license is a legal contract, just like any other contract, and you have to dissolve it. Whatever assets you have will need to be divided, by law. Make sure you gather up all those things you brought with you to the marriage, like your grandmother's tea cups, the doormat you brought from your mom's house, the dog, and so on. There are items that belong to you including, for example, that savings account you have had since you were in high school. If you do not go through the divorce process appropriately (hire a divorce attorney to be your advocate and partner), you may not be able to claim some of the items I just got you thinking about as your own!

Stacy D. Phillips is a Certified Family Law Specialist and a founding partner of Phillips, Lerner, & Lauzon, a Los Angeles family-law firm. She specializes in a diversity of complex, high-asset marital and paternity cases.

Tuesday, February 14
at 8 pm to 8:30 EST
Preparing for Divorce Mediation - 5 Steps of Negotiation Power to get what you want
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