Top 10 Tips for Making the Divorce Process Smoother
When you are getting a divorce, there is often a lot of animosity between you and your former partner, and the divorce process rarely goes smoothly. Read on for the top 10 tips for making the divorce process smoother.
- Hire a divorce attorney: A divorce attorney is a professional who understands the process. He can help you to negotiate with your spouse, and you can even communicate with your spouse through your attorney to avoid potentially unpleasant confrontations.
- Try to remain calm: It can be easy to let your emotions get the best of you, but you should try to remain as calm as you can during the process so you can make practical decisions about your financial arrangements and custody arrangements.
- Prioritize your needs and wants: When you are dividing your assets, it is important to know what you want the most. For example, you may be willing to give your spouse more of the cash if you want to hold on to the house.
- Limit your contact with your spouse: If you are on bad terms, don’t fuel the fire by calling each other up to fight or by engaging in other unpleasant behavior. Let your attorneys hash out the details and keep the contact to a minimum.
- Understand your new financial picture: You need to be practical about what your life will be like after the divorce and plan accordingly. If you can’t afford to keep the house on one salary, for example, you need to know that and plan for the sale of the house as part of the divorce.
- Gather as many records as you can: The more information you have about your finances and assets, the easier it will be to determine how to divide them up.
- Think about all aspects of your post-divorce life: If you were covered under your spouse’s insurance, you may need to make arrangements after the divorce to get your own policy or to stay on his. You will need to think about that, and other such factors, and make sure you incorporate them into your divorce agreement.
- Be realistic: While you may want to take everything your spouse has or eliminate his contact with the children, most courts won’t let you do this without a very good reason. Be realistic and practical in your demands in order to facilitate a fair settlement and a quick divorce.
- Know the laws in your state: Some states are community property states, which means you are entitled to half of all of the shared assets in the marriage. Other states divide property up differently, basing it on what each party contributed to the marriage for example. Know the rules so you can know what to expect in a settlement.
- Be willing to compromise: The more willing to compromise you are, the faster you can come to an agreement and the less expensive your divorce will be.