If your marriage is nearing its end, then you’re probably thinking about the best way to get through divorce as quickly and as safely as possible. This is especially true if you want to avoid conflict. But rushing through your marriage dissolution can be tricky since it can increase the risk that you’ll overlook key assets and legal opportunities that could position you for the post-divorce life that you want. That isn’t to say that you can’t expedite your divorce proceedings. You simply have to know how to move through the process in a confident and competent way.
That’s easier said than done, of course, particularly if you’ve never been through a divorce before. But don’t let the process stress you out too much. We’ve compiled some tips here that we hope will give you a good starting point for developing a divorce strategy that allows you to get through your marriage dissolution as quickly as possible while still protecting your interests.
There are multiple actions you can take to ensure that your divorce plays out smoothly and quickly. Here are some that you might want to implement in your case:
- Getting organized: Your divorce settlement negotiations can play out much faster if you have an idea of the marital assets in play, what you need to be successful post-divorce and your spouse’s income. You can gain a command of these issues by getting organized. So, secure key financial records and conduct an inventory of the marital estate to get started.
- Creating a budget: You’ll have a better sense of what you need out of your marriage dissolution by creating a post-divorce budget. Here, you’ll want to be realistic about your anticipated income and the expenses that you’ll face. This will give you information to work with as you try to secure marital assets and spousal support.
- Striking the right tone: It’s easy to get mixed up in personal attacks during divorce. After all, untying your life from that of your spouse can be emotionally difficult. But lashing out at your spouse, even if only in response to attacks they lob towards you, will only stall the process and create obstacles to finding fair and favorable resolution. So, try to keep a business-like and respectful tone so that you can focus on resolving key legal issues and obtaining finality.
- Setting goals: Before you enter settlement negotiations or litigation, you should have an idea of what you want out of your divorce. This will give you direction, thereby speeding up the process. If you can identify what your spouse wants out of the process beforehand, then you can develop a divorce legal strategy that leverages key assets to quickly and safely secure the outcome that you want.
- Picking your battles: You don’t have to fight over every little issue in your divorce. In fact, doing so will slow the process considerably. So, find which issues you’re willing to give in on not only to speed up your divorce, but also to generate goodwill that you can then capitalize on when it comes to matters that truly are important to you.
There are several different ways to approach your divorce. You have to pick the one that supports your best interests and that maximizes your chances of securing the outcome that you want.