Legal Jobs explains that although the divorce rate is declining across the entirety of America, it still has the third-highest rate in the world. Although this type of separation is devastating to many families and partnerships, these statistics show that divorce is no longer a taboo subject and can often be a healthy way for couples to move on with their own lives. However, it’s still a hard thing for many people to process, as divorce is often associated with countless legal battles and custody disputes. Not to mention, some parties end up losing a lot of assets during a divorce, which can leave them in a pretty dire financial situation. Luckily, this article will describe a wealth of advice and guidance to help you enjoy a better divorce process.
8 Things to Consider When Looking for a Smoother Divorce Process
1. To Move On, You Must Accept It
Though it may seem like an incredibly hard pill to swallow, you cannot expect to enjoy a better divorce process if you’re yet to accept that the separation has actually happened. If you find yourself constantly messaging or tracking your ex-partner to find out where they are, or if you’re prone to looking at old photographs until the early hours of the morning, you may not be fully ready to accept the gravity of this harsh situation. Therefore, it may be best for you to contact a wealth of divorce attorneys to help you gain some assistance in the matter. These attorneys are trained to handle marital separations and promote a sense of fairness as they discuss topics such as dissolution and annulment. Their hard-hitting and unbiased nature may help you to face the reality of your divorce and no longer feel the need to hark back to the past. Plus, divorce attorneys are your first point of call when negotiating a divorce, so it’s best to speak to someone early on in the process. Despite their importance, these types of attorneys are quite expensive, with Contracts Counsel informing us that they typically charge $270 per hour. So, you may have to discuss these costs with your partner beforehand to ensure that you can both obtain the best support possible.
2. Organize Insurance
Insurance is a tricky topic when it comes to divorce as many couples don’t want to profit off of one another’s deaths. As such, it’s best to update the insurance company of your separation as soon as possible so that you can get started on forming your own policies. If you want to uphold a better divorce process, it’s advised that you define the assets included in your life insurance policy as marital assets, allowing them to be split evenly between the two of you. Though it may take time to come to an agreement on this, many financial advisers believe that it’s the best long-term solution available for divorcees. With term life insurance, some insurance agencies suggest that the owner of the policy should reap all the cash value as these policies are often regarded as a single asset. If divorce has left you as a single parent, it’s paramount that you take out a life insurance policy in your own name. This is because these policies will help your children cope financially if the worst were to happen. Nerd Wallet states the average cost of a life insurance policy is around $26 a month, which can be regarded as an affordable way to protect your family in the future. It should also be noted that if you and your ex-partner shared a car, it’s important that you remove their name from your policy. This is because some policies will not allow excluded drivers to operate your vehicle, and you could risk receiving a hefty fine.
3. Ensure Any Finances Are Handled
Many couples use trusts to help build a firm sense of inheritance and financial security for their families to use down the line. Since divorce works to split any and all assets, your money will not automatically be protected in a trust. When you go to finalize your divorce, you must accurately and honestly discuss all of your available assets, including the income you earn from trusts. As such, if a lawyer believes that these assets should be shared among your ex-partner, the court will ensure that the contents of your trusts are split evenly. Yet, if they believe that the assets should remain with one party, they will be ignored. However, there are a lot of nuances and intricacies associated with these cases, so it’s always best to consult these assets with a solicitor before striving to complete your divorce process. Discussion of assets can cause a lot of tension between a newly divorced couple, so it’s wise to explore these matters in a calm and respectful manner so that the conversation doesn’t become too heated.
4. Sell Your Home
Although you may lie awake at night, dreading seeing a House for Sale sign outside your marital home, it can be a great way to work toward a better divorce process. Plus, it can also be a lucrative way to earn a vast sum of money, which can help you get a great start in your new life. Some couples benefit from selling their home before their divorce is finalized as it allows them to dissolve some of the assets associated with them. In addition, it also creates a better foundation to split the profits evenly, ensuring fewer disputes across the course of your divorce journey. However, depending on the circumstances, you may have to pay a substantial amount in capital gains tax, so keep this in mind when discussing your property with your ex-partner. A good way to get all of these details under control is to collaborate with a real estate agent that has experience working with divorced couples, also known as a Divorce Real Estate Agent. Galbraith Family Law informs us that you are typically required to pay a 3%-5% commission as well as around $1,000 in legal fees when in the process of selling your home. In turn, this may seem like a very exuberant cost to add to your divorce, but it can help both parties come to an agreement faster, creating a better divorce process overall.
5. Ensure Custody is Sorted
It’s not just the previously married couple that struggle with divorce, the children are affected also. That’s why it’s so important to create an effective custody agreement in the early parts of your divorce so that your children can continue to carry on with life as normal. In order to get these plans in order, you must first reach out to a local family law attorney, who will then put you in touch with an experienced child custody lawyer. These professionals are required to handle a lot of conflicting aspects, such as visits with grandparents or creating a safer home environment for children who have suffered domestic violence. Admittedly, child custody is probably one of the most difficult aspects of divorce, but luckily, these lawyers can guide you through these strong emotions and ensure that you and your children can continue to move on with your lives. Unbundled Legal Help explains that the average child custody lawyer costs anywhere between $3,000 and $5,000. But they also state that if a case becomes too complex, they may make some additional charges. So, even though this service can be incredibly expensive for the average divorcee, it’s a fantastic way to ensure that you can enjoy a better divorce process in the long run.
6. Decide on Extra Costs for Your Kids
Just because you’re going through a divorce doesn’t make your children any less expensive to raise. However, with the right legal support by your side, you can ensure that you receive enough funds from your ex-partner to help you raise your child effectively. You must ensure that your partner is able to financially support their child, paying for essential items such as braces or medical bills. Some parents can even help out with the cost of the food bill, ensuring that nutrition and health are at the forefront of their child’s well-being. A lot of this can be negotiated through a shared family calendar or a designated co-parenting app. However, if one parent is being particularly difficult about the situation, you may have to rely on some additional legal resources. Graysons Solicitors believes that although these agreements are best settled out of court if one parent is not cooperating, you may have to produce a court order to help resolve the issue. Therefore, although your partner may have issues discussing these extra costs, you can rest assured that there is support available at every step of your better divorce journey.
7. Begin Family Therapy
Divorce can be a traumatizing time for the entire family, particularly if the events leading up to the separation were pretty intense. If you’re looking to work toward a better divorce process and build a sense of peace within your family, consider going to family therapy together. During these sessions, you’ll meet with a licensed family and marriage therapist who will assess the nuances of your dynamic and try to find some solutions to the issues you’ve been dealing with. Although this may sound like your worst nightmare, working with a qualified family therapist helps build a stronger sense of communication and trust, making sure that every family member has the chance to express their side of the story. Counsel Search states that family therapy can cost around $100 per session, but this price may be partly covered by your insurance policy. Therefore, it’s good practice to check if your insurance covers this type of therapy before you commit to a number of expensive sessions. Also, ensure that these sessions can accommodate your children’s school schedule as it could be detrimental for them to miss vital lessons in order to visit a therapist. Another benefit of completing family therapy is that none of the information shared in the sessions will be passed on to your family lawyer. As such, this is a useful way for families to take a break from their legal struggles and focus on rebuilding strong relationships with each other without having to worry about their therapist breaking a confidentiality agreement.
8. Finalize Child Support Payments
Child support services are a key financial asset in divorce and relate to the funds offered by the noncustodial parent to the parent who is responsible for raising the children. Child support payments vary under different circumstances and are usually defined by a legal body. However, Melvin Law offers a unique calculation to help give divorcees a rough idea of what they can expect to pay each month. First, you take the combined parental income and multiply it by the correct child support percentage. For example, if a couple’s combined income was $150,000 and they shared two children. The noncustodial parent would be expected to offer 25%, which equals $37,500. These calculations can differ from state to state, so be sure to research how child support payments are calculated in your respective region. If you don’t pay your child support each month, you could suffer a lot of negative consequences such as losing your driver’s license or your pay could be garnished by your employer. For those who cannot afford to pay their child support, be sure that you reach out to a respected body for legal advice so that you can avoid these detrimental results.
There’s no denying the hassle and trauma that comes with divorce. Whether it’s handling the children’s living situation to organizing life insurance policies, these tasks can leave us feeling desperately overwhelmed and downtrodden. Not to mention, the stress of getting back onto the dating scene. But, by organizing these details early on, you can finalize your divorce with ease and begin to make great strides in your new life. So, if you’re looking to enjoy a better divorce process, consider researching some of the tips and tricks discussed in this article.
