Bifurcation is where the court enters a divorce decree prior to the final determination and disposition of property and alimony issues. Absent consent of both parties, a court may enter a bifurcated divorce decree only after "grounds have been established", i.e. the parties have filed affidavits of consent, a fault ground has been approved by the court, a two-year separation has been unopposed or, if opposed, approved by the court, AND the moving party demonstrates that compelling circumstances for bifurcation exist and sufficient economic protections for the opposing party have been provided. As you can expect, bifurcation is possible only under very limited circumstances.

If you have a family law issue, our firm handles these types of cases on a daily basis. Call Attorney Artim at (412) 823-8003 to schedule your initial appointment. If you prefer, send an email to Attorney Greg Artim