Portland, OR family law attorney Michael Yates gives a quick overview of the divorce process. The process can be visualized as picture bookends, with the filing of the petition on one end and the entry of the divorce judgment on the other. In between these bookends lies the discovery process, which involves the gathering of mostly documents as well as other information, such as obtaining appraisals. Occasionally, depositions are taken. Once the discovery process is complete, the parties move into the settlement phase, which almost always entails mediation. Mediation is a meeting between the lawyers, the clients, and a neutral party, where they attempt to craft a settlement. If mediation fails, the case will proceed to trial, where the parties will present the issues, and the judge will decide the disputed matters. Ultimately, a judgment will be issued.