Rule 19 Lis Pendens

When you're involved in a divorce or family court case that affects real estate, you can file a notice called a "lis pendens" to alert the public that the property is tied up in a legal case. This filing goes on record with the county, so anyone who checks the property's title will see there's an ongoing lawsuit that might affect ownership or rights to that property.

This matters because it protects your interest in the property while the case is being decided. If someone tried to buy or take out a loan against the property without knowing about your case, the lis pendens gives them fair warning. It also helps prevent the other party from selling or transferring the property to someone else before the court settles the matter.

The rule says you follow the same steps used in other civil court cases when filing this notice. So the process isn't unique to family court. It uses the standard rules that apply whenever someone needs to flag a property because of an active lawsuit.