6 Tips for a Successful Divorce
Divorces can get very messy; they can end up being more expensive than they need to be and they can cause more emotional stress than is necessary too. If you are about to go through a divorce, there are several ways that you can make your divorce easier and get better outcomes:
1. Try to avoid going to court
If there are details that you cannot agree on, you may end up having to go to court for issues such as child custody arrangements and dividing of assets. This will end up costing you a lot more in court fees and solicitor’s fees, so wherever possible, try to come to an agreement. Using mediation services may be able to help you to agree on arrangements before you end up going to court.
2. Familiarise yourself with the divorce proceedings
Understanding the divorce process and the different legal requirements will also help to reduce solicitor’s fees, as you will not need as much guidance from them if you have enough knowledge of the process yourself. Educate yourself about the stages of divorce and what you will need to prepare for each stage.
3. Get your financial information organised
One of the more time-consuming parts of a divorce is gathering all of your financial information and list of assets, so the sooner you start gathering all of this information, the better. If there are complications such as a joint business, for example, this is likely to require involvement from solicitor’s and maybe the court. You may also need advice for questions such as ‘what happens if my spouse goes bankrupt?’, as this will also have a significant impact of the financial separation.
4. Try to make business-like decisions and not emotion-based ones
If you are in a very emotional state of mind, you might find you are making decisions that are driven by your emotions rather than looking at the best financial outcome. Separating couples that have a lot of anger towards each other tend to end up losing out financially, as they need to go to court or use their solicitor’s more than they would if they treated the divorce like a business transaction.
5. Prioritise the wellbeing of children
If there are children involved in the divorce, they should be the top priority as they will emotionally suffer if you do not put their wellbeing first. If your divorce is not amicable, try and remain as civil as possible with your ex-partner when you are in front of your kids and make decisions such as custody arrangements and living arrangements based on what solution is best for your children. Maintaining routine, such as the kids staying in their home and their school will help to make the transition as smooth as possible for them.
6. Choose a good solicitor
It can be tempting to go for the cheapest solicitor but this could end up costing you more in the long-run, especially if there are complications to resolve in the divorce proceedings, such as not agreeing with how assets will be divided. It helps to choose a solicitor recommended by someone who has used them. You can also have a look at online reviews to see what previous clients say about their services, to ensure you select the best solicitor for your divorce circumstances. If your main priority is child custody, for example, choose a family law solicitor that specialises in this aspect of divorce.
Divorces are rarely seen to be ‘successful’ but by following these tips, you should be able to achieve the best possible outcome from your divorce.