Temporary Orders

What "Temporary Orders" Actually Do in a Divorce or Custody Case

Temporary orders set the rules a separated family lives under while the divorce or custody case is pending: who has the kids on which nights, who pays what bill, who stays in the house, and who is barred from emptying the joint account. Most are issued within the first 30 to 60 days of filing. They are called temporary, but they usually become the de facto status quo by the time the case ends, so what gets ordered at this hearing matters more than its name suggests.