Temporary Orders Temporary Orders, also called pendente lite orders, set the rules for the case while pending. Either party can ask the court to make Temporary Orders, for example, who stays in the house, who is responsible for the children, who pays certain expenses and restraining inappropriate conduct. It is in both spouses' best interests to agree upon reasonable arrangements while the case is pending rather than incur additional legal fees and to bad feelings for having to go to court for Temporary Orders. Each spouse is entitled to information from the other spouse about the case. There are several different discovery procedures.
Interrogatories are a list of questions requiring formal answers to each question.
Requests for production of documents requires the opposing party to produce certain documents in response to the requests. A deposition is where the spouse or a spouse's expert may be required to answer questions under oath at a lawyer's office while a court reporter records what is being said and then prepares a transcript. Most lawyers and judges agree it is better to resolve a case by agreement than have a trial in which a judge decides the outcome. If the lawyers cannot negotiate the settlement, there is the option of mediation. Mediation can be very persuasive because the mediator will tell the parties the weaknesses in their cases as well as how a judge may rule if the case goes to trial.