When two people exchange marriage vows, the furthest thing in their minds at the time is what might happen if they don’t want to be together anymore. The sad truth is that thousands of couples have marriages that are ‘on the rocks’ and ultimately result in divorce.
Divorces are typically straightforward when there are no children involved in the process. Unfortunately, many couples have one or more children, and more often than not, divorces become lengthy, drawn-out procedures. What’s worse is the kids get stuck in the middle of it.
Deciding to get a divorce is never an easy call. If you’ve decided that there is no other option apart from a divorce, and you’ve got young children, here’s how you and your spouse can both make the process as smooth as possible:
Make your kids the top priority
Both parties must make their children a priority in any divorce proceedings. Arguing about who gets the car or the house is one thing, but when children are part of the divorce, both parents should do what’s best for the kids - not for themselves.
Children generally do better in a divorce when they have constant close contact with both their parents. That means dividing time together equally, and both parties making an effort to be in their children’s lives as much as possible.
Of course, there are cases where one parent may decide to have little to no contact with their children. There are also circumstances where kids being a part of one of the parent’s lives will be detrimental to their development.
In those above cases, it makes sense to work with a child custody lawyer. Doing so will help you get the best possible outcome for your divorce, especially with the long-term care of your offspring.
Sell the family home
Most couples seeking a divorce will have undoubtedly bought a property together that has now become the family home. In amicable splits, one party may suggest the other retains ownership of the house to keep some stability in their children’s lives.
However, the ugly truth is many splits aren’t amicable, and there will often be fighting over “who gets to keep what” in a divorce. It’s often easier to put the family home up for sale and divide the proceeds fairly so that both parties can purchase new properties.
The lawyers for both parties must determine how much of a stake each person has in the property. That way, they (or the law courts) can agree on a fair division of the house sale proceeds.
Work with mediators
Lastly, both parties should ideally work with an unbiased mediator or arbitrator. Doing so means each person can fully understand each point of view and work together to resolve property or asset ownership issues.
What’s more, mediation will help both parties understand how best to work together for the sake of their children. Some of the topics tackled in mediation sessions involve agreeing on time spent with the kids and how much maintenance to pay.
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