Preparing for divorce negotiations

Divorce can be a stressful, emotional endeavor, but it can also be the start of a new chapter in your life. With that in mind, you should take care to ensure that you’re getting what you truly need out of your marriage dissolution, which may be easier said than done. Given that some divorce cases resolve without need for litigation, this means that you’ll want to have a strong strategy for how to negotiate for yourself and your best interests when you sit down with your spouse to try to find agreement for a divorce settlement.

Things to think about when preparing for divorce negotiations

Sitting down with your spouse to divide your marital assets and discuss things like child custody, child support, and even spousal support may not be easy; however, you can take some of the stress out of the situation by knowing what you’re going to do during negotiations and having clearly defined goals. Here are some things to think about as you prepare for those talks:

• What do you really need? Post-divorce life is probably going to look a lot different from your married life. What do you need, financially speaking, to be stable and move on with life?
• What do you want? Try to create a prioritized list of things that you’re hoping to get out of your divorce.
• What does your spouse need? There are probably certain assets that your spouse really needs post-divorce. If you can identify them, then you’ll have a little bit more bargaining power, especially if they’re assets that you don’t really need.
• What does your spouse want? Same thing here. If you can spot what your spouse wants, then you can utilize that as leverage during your negotiations.
• What’s your approach? It might be hard, but you probably don’t want to come across as too emotional or too aggressive. That can stall negotiations and lead to a prolonged and more contentious process. Consider being assertive, firm, and even-keeled as much as possible.
• What are you limits? Some spouses will keep pushing until the other puts a stop to it. Therefore, those who are unable to say “no” or struggle advocating for themselves can be taken advantage of. To avoid this, know beforehand at what point you’re willing to walk away and take your case to court.

Have the support you need

We know divorce is tough, and it might seem like it’s never going to end. But there are brighter days ahead of you. Consider letting a legal team like ours help you secure what you need to move on confidently with your life.