Preparing for Divorce
You’re Getting a Divorce. Now What?
While typically associated with anxiety, anger, and conflict, the ending of a marriage doesn’t have to be that way. By taking time for yourself and understanding all options, you can find a balanced approach to this life-changing transition and constructively restructure your family and finances.
Resolve to Take Care of Yourself
Give yourself time and patience with your feelings. Focus on staying healthy-including rest and exercise. You will get through this!
Learn About Your Process Options
Mediation? Collaborative? Consulting lawyer? Traditional lawyers? Court or no-court? You need to understand all of your options before talking with your spouse and making an informed choice. Don’t rush this part—do your research. The process you choose will have a profound impact on cost and outcome.
Learn About Your Process Options
Mediation? Collaborative? Consulting lawyer? Traditional court lawyers? You need to understand all of your options before talking with your spouse and making an informed choice. Don’t rush this part—do your research. The process you choose will have a profound impact on cost and outcome.
Put Together Your Personal and Professional Support Team
You will get a lot of divorce advice, and you need to choose carefully what is helpful and healthy for you. This includes your personal circle of family and friends. Be sure to consult with a lawyer (individually or joint education with a mediator). A personal therapist, financial advisor, realtor or estate planner may be helpful and a child or financial specialist can also be part of your mediation team.
Communicate With Your Spouse
If it is safe, talking with your spouse about process options and decisions throughout the process can help reduce conflict and cost—especially if you choose mediation or a collaborative process. Making decisions together, with professional help, can support each of your ultimate goals for restructuring your family and finances.
Communicate With Your Spouse
If it is safe, talking with your spouse about process options and decisions throughout the process can help reduce conflict and cost—especially if you choose mediation or a collaborative process. Making decisions together, with professional help, can support each of your ultimate goals for restructuring your family and finances.
Get Educated
You will need to make financial and parenting decisions that will impact you for a lifetime. Even if you did not manage the finances, you need to learn how to make a realistic budget and discuss child support, spousal maintenance and property division concerns, such as options for the home. If you have children, a child specialist can help you create a family plan that supports your children’s well-being.
Focus on the Future
What are your goals for the divorce process and beyond? Avoid using the legal process to argue fault or revenge. Consider what you want your life to look like in years to come. Make decisions that will support your personal well-being, family health, and financial security—not just what it takes to get the divorce over with. Do it right to avoid regrets and look back with integrity and self-respect.
Focus on the Future
What are your goals for the divorce process and beyond? Avoid using the legal process to argue fault or revenge. Consider what you want your life to look like in years to come. Make decisions that will support your personal well-being, family health, and financial security—not just what it takes to get the divorce over with. Do it right to avoid regrets and look back with integrity and self-respect.
Hear From Our Clients & Network
I used The Family Mediation Center to work through a divorce. I would highly recommend reaching out to them if you have questions or need help working through the process. Our mediator was very helpful and empathetic. She walked us through each step and educated us on the process. Highly recommend their services. Thank you!
My ex-husband and I used Paul Stenzel through the family mediation center to do a collaborative divorce and I was extremely pleased with the outcome. Paul was unbelievably skilled at getting us to agree on things that were initially very contentious such that, in the end, I believe we were both happy with the way things worked out.
Going into this divorce and deciding what to do and how to start the process was both intimidating and nerve wracking for both my ex wife and I. Paul and the staff at FMC made this process fluid and were very kind and straightforward with everything. He did not take sides and helped us both with decision making that benefited the family as a whole and for that we are forever grateful.
I could not have been more pleased with how Anne Jaspers and the Family Mediation Center handled my divorce. Anne was compassionate, thorough, knowledgeable and patient. She explained each step in the process and always made us feel comfortable before taking the next step.
Ready to Get Started?
Take the first step towards resolution by scheduling your free phone consultation with Family Mediation Center today.