Recently on the blog we discussed some of the various ways that you can resolve your divorce without the need for litigation. This included collaborative divorce, arbitration, and mediation. While these alternative dispute resolution measures can certainly prove beneficial, you can only maximize your chances of obtaining a favorable outcome by being adequately prepared. To do so, consider taking the following steps:
- Know what you want and need: There are going to be certain assets that you absolutely need post-divorce, whether that be a vehicle or a place to live. These assets can serve as your non-negotiables. Then think about what you really want out of your divorce so that you know where you need to focus your negotiation efforts.
- Know what your spouse wants and needs: By conducting the same analysis from your spouse’s point-of-view, you can identify where the bulk of the settlement talks are going to occur and can better spot opportunities where you can leverage certain assets to get what you want.
- Ensure the marital estate is clear: You should get your equitable share of marital assets out of a divorce, but you can only achieve that outcome if you’ve properly included all assets in the marital estate. This means that you need to be thorough in combing through financial records and locating any hidden assets.
- Be mindful of tone: It can be easy to allow settlement negotiations to serve as a forum for emotional release, but try your best to avoid that. Instead, try to be respectful and business like. You certainly don’t want to be a pushover, but coming across too aggressively could lead to delays and ultimately additional costs should your case end up going to trial.
Be holistic in developing your divorce strategy
These are just a few of the many strategic efforts that you can make to try to more quickly and fairly resolve your divorce. What’s important to remember is that you need to be prepared. Before engaging in settlement talks, take a minute to clear your mind and find some calmness so that you can make the clear-headed preparations and decisions that you need to position yourself for post-divorce success.