When I suggest divorce mediation or collaborative divorce to a client that is preparing for divorce, I regularly hear, “Sure, but we’re getting divorced for a reason. We can’t agree.”
I get it. There is a reason you are ending your marriage. You have fundamental disagreements, and many issues where you don’t agree with your spouse. You know that this is not the time where we simply need to sit down and talk it out. You have tried that many times, it didn’t work.
I agree. You have serious legal, financial and family issues that need to be defined and resolved in your divorce process.
The Question Then Becomes: What Are My Divorce Options?
- Do It Yourself – you can try to go at it on your own and attempt to come to a formal written agreement on all issues, reduce it to writing, and file all required court documents to ratify your agreement and to request a final uncontested divorce hearing. Realistically, this is not really an option you are considering. You’re not a lawyer. You’re not someone that is willing to deal with the many mistakes that will occur based on trial and error.
- File Suit – you can hire a divorce litigation attorney and file suit against your spouse. If you are reading my blog, you are very likely someone that doesn’t want to make your spouse out as your enemy. You don’t want to attack your spouse with court litigation. You don’t want to put your most important financial and family decisions in the hands of lawyers and judges that you have never met. You don’t want to waste time and money in court. You really just want a divorce, and you need help to navigate this legal process.
- Out of Court Divorce Settlement – you can hire a divorce mediator, or a divorce settlement lawyer, or a team of divorce settlement specialists to assist you in answering all of the legal questions that you have surrounding what a fair settlement looks like for you based upon your specific station in life. At our office, we focus in assisting clients with these out of court divorce options. We prioritize family, privacy and durable resolutions.
Maybe You Can Agree, You Just Need Help.
After considering your options in divorce, I would suggest again that maybe you can reach an out of court divorce settlement. You just need additional resources and guidance to help you to accomplish this difficult and important task. Once we know that our only two viable options to resolve your divorce are fighting in court or reaching an out of court private settlement, the time and the effort that we are willing to invest in helping you to reach a private settlement become much more clear.
In my experience, the spouses that are willing to roll up their sleeves and work with trained professionals to reach a durable settlement agreement are the families that look back on their divorce process without regret.
They didn’t destroy relationships, and they didn’t cause unnecessary financial and emotional harm to the ones that they love. Instead, they defined new family roles, and they changed their family relationships. Then, they moved on with their lives with the peace of mind that they handled their divorce with peace and privacy.
If you, or a friend of yours, has questions about divorce mediation or collaborative divorce in Palm Beach County, we are here to help.
Helpful Resources:
Mindful Divorce Services – Fixed Fees
