Here’s how to prepare for divorce negotiations

Most divorces resolve through negotiations before they ever go to trial. While that might sound appealing to you, especially given that a judge who doesn’t know you would otherwise be left making important decisions about your future, you’ll want to make sure that you’re walking up to the negotiating table with a clear strategy. Otherwise you might end up agreeing to a settlement that is contrary to you and potentially your children’s best interests. Hopefully this post will provide you with some insight into what you can do to prepare yourself as fully as possible for your divorce settlement talks.

Preparing for negotiations

You don’t want to wing your divorce settlement. So, here are a few things to think about as you prepare your strategy moving forward:

• What do you want and what do you need? By identifying these things, you set goalposts. Some of them, your wants, can be moved. But your needs are not. This can help you frame your strategy to drive toward your desired outcome.
• Know what your spouse wants and needs: If you can pinpoint what your spouse needs coming out of the divorce, then you can use those things as leverage to get what you need and want. Of course, there’ll be challenges if you both need the same thing.
• Set the right tone: As emotional as divorce can be, try not to come off as too aggressive or blaming during settlement talks. This can stall the process and lead to holdouts that are fueled by nothing more than resentment. Instead, try to be firm in your assertions and be reasonable where possible.
• Trust your strategy and be patient: Far too often, people get tired of negotiations that drag on. As a result, they acquiesce to things they probably shouldn’t. While that might lead to a quicker resolution, it might also damage your future. Once you have a strong negotiation strategy developed, trust it and stick to it as much as possible.

Secure the help you need

Finalizing a divorce is no small feat. But you don’t have to walk this enormously emotional journey by yourself. Experienced divorce attorneys understand the emotions involved in these cases, as well as the financial nature of marriage dissolution. As such, they are able to provide the holistic representation that is often needed to achieve a favorable outcome and allow individuals to start the next chapter of life post-divorce.