Should a lawyer be your first call when you decide you want a divorce? What if litigating your divorce was the last option and not the first?
Literally millions of individuals, business entities, and organizations around the world are finding there is literally nothing to lose by agreeing to Mediation before “lawyering up,” going to battle, and getting broke.
In many cases, a divorce has more impact on a person’s current and future financial well-being than any other event in their lives. Collaborative planning through divorce mediation may be the last thing on your mind when your marriage ends — particularly if it ends in conflict — but it may never be more valuable.
Divorce happens in an emotionally charged environment and you’re making financial decisions in a few months that will affect you for the rest of your life. People often don’t look far enough ahead.
The first thing to understand is that for everyone but the very wealthy, divorce will hurt your standard of living. Two households are more expensive to maintain than one, and if one person in the marriage has been a stay-at-home parent, there is less income and assets to go around. A settlement, whether mediated or litigated, will almost certainly reduce your quality of life.
Secondly, unless your marriage was short-lived and is ending amicably, you have no children and little marital assets and income, you should have a mediator guide you through all issues necessary to dissolve your marriage as well as help with budgets moving forward.
With a mutually agreed upon settlement, you can have independent attorneys review before filing the settlement with the court.
Once your settlement is filed with the court, you can work with a financial advisor to see what your settlement looks like 3 years out and 30 years out.
You deserve to start your post divorce life with the most solid financial foundation possible. There is no need to start your own personal version of World War III by getting lawyers involved at the onset. Avoid expensive retainers, never ending litigation, cashing in 529's and retirement accounts to keep up with unceasing litigation costs...and mediate.
Again, what if Court was our LAST option rather than our first?
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