When people think they want a divorce, they think the first step is to learn what they need to do to prepare for the divorce. Logical – but first, take one step back. Before you do anything else, make sure you really are ready to go forward with the divorce. If there is any hope of saving your marriage, try counseling first or whatever else you can to save it. Because once you start the divorce process, it is really difficult to go back.
But if you are sure that divorce is really what you want, and you want to achieve a divorce with dignity, then we can help. Divorce With Dignity (www.dwdignity.com) takes a very different approach to the divorce process than the traditional court litigation system. Our goal is to guide you through the divorce process maze, helping you obtain a divorce in the most peaceful, cooperative, and cost-effective way possible.
In preparing for a divorce, we recommend the following steps –
- Get your paperwork together. Don’t worry if you can’t gather everything right away; just get what you can to help you with step 2. Start with finding your latest tax statement, and creating a record of your assets and debts (bank accounts, loans, credit cards, mortgages, investments, properties, etc.).
- Figure out what you will need in terms of assets and support from the marriage settlement. Think about both the most you would want and your bottom line – you will probably end up somewhere in the middle. Develop a proposed budget as to what you’ll need to live on after the divorce. Engage the help of a financial professional if you need help with this (we can provide you with referrals for this and other kinds of assistance (findaprovider.dwdignity.com)). If finances are limited, it is definitely to your advantage to avoid litigation. We can help you obtain your divorce with a lot less cost as well as less stress.
- Talk with your spouse. Does he/she also want the divorce? If you both feel that divorce is the best solution, and you are both willing to cooperate to work through the divorce process amicably, then you should start talking about the following issues –
- Living arrangements
- Children (how to tell them, parenting plan, visitation, etc.)
- Finances
- Child support
- Alimony / spousal support
- Property
- Develop your divorce support team. During your discussions on the above topics, you may find that you both are in agreement on everything, or that there are some issues that need to be worked out. You may also discover that there are areas in which you need some support or counseling. When you work with Divorce With Dignity (findaprovider.dwdignity.com), we offer a safe place for you to discuss these issues, plan for your divorce, and get referrals for any type of assistance you may need to get you through this. This could include mediators, legal support, emotional support, financial counseling, life coaching, support for your children, referrals for moving companies, and more. We also help you file the divorce papers.
Starting to prepare for a divorce can be a daunting task. Let us help you through it – with dignity!
The author of this blog is not an attorney and the information contained in these blogs should not be considered legal advice. The information provided here is based on the experience of the author and some of her clients whose actual names are not mentioned. Do not hesitate to seek the advice of an attorney if you have any legal questions
