Contested divorces can be extremely expensive. Each of the partners needs to hire a separate lawyer and the case normally ends up being argued in court, which raises the legal costs tremendously. The high cost involved is not the only drawback of contested cases. The entire proceeding is in the public domain and open to scrutiny and reporting. Contested cases also tend to involve many negative emotions.
If a marriage simply cannot be saved and divorcing is inevitable, the best solution is to approach the matter in an adult, reasonable manner. If each partner is willing to compromise and to communicate with each other they can reach agreement on all the important issues involved in divorcing. A reasonable approach can speed things up, the trauma is less and there are fewer negative emotions involved.
There are many laws and procedures involved when a marriage is dissolved and divorcing couples will need some legal assistance, even if they are not contesting the issue. They can save a lot of money, however, because they do not need a lawyer for each of them. The role of the lawyer is simply to make sure that both partners reach the decisions that they must reach and to draw up a final separation agreement.
Even a single lawyer can end up costing quite a lot. There are alternatives, however. Specially licensed counselors are also allowed to draw up the agreements necessary for divorces and their services are usually much less costly than attorneys. They perform the same duties as a lawyer. Lawyers, however, say that these counselors are not sufficiently trained in the laws governing divorces, especially regarding the legal rights of each partner.
All professionals, including counselors and lawyers charge for their time. Divorcing couples can therefore save even more money by consuming as little time as possible from such a professional. This can be done by drawing up a list of every decision that must be made, to discuss every item on the list and to note the decision reached by the couple. This means that the only thing the professional has to do is to draw up the final documents.
Couples that dissolve their marriages in an amicable manner not only save money. If there are children in the marriage, they often suffer severe trauma in contested cases. When they witness their parents discussing the matter in a mature, reasonable manner they do not suffer as much. Other family members and friends also deal with divorces much better when they are handled in a reasonable and civilized manner.
Marriages are complicated yet fragile relationships. Breaking up always involves at least some hurt, regret and often even anger. However, mature couples that are reasonable can limit these negative emotions and move on with their lives in a positive manner.
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