If you and your significant other have decided to pursue divorce in the coming months, there are things that you can do now to put your family in the best possible position for success. It will feel good to make some progress, and you can save yourself time and money down the road. Here are some tips for preparing for divorce in the coming year:
1. Begin gathering important documents and records: You will need to be able to show many different documents when you and your spouse work on your separation agreement. This includes detailed information about your finances. Spend time now getting organized and pulling information like tax returns, W-2s, retirement benefit information, life insurance, bank account information and anything else that you and your spouse own together.
2. Think about what is most important to you: Divorce is all about compromise. You should think now about what is most important to you and what you expect will be most important to your spouse so that you can be ready to negotiate when the time comes.
3. Learn about the divorce process in Minnesota: The Minnesota court system actually encourages all couples to attempt divorce mediation or another Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process before going through traditional litigation. Mediation is less expensive and will take less time to find resolution.
4. Begin a list of your joint marital assets: Another critical piece of information to gather before the divorce process begins is to compile a list of your joint assets so that you can easily review them together and determine how to fairly split them up.
5. Pull together your support system: Divorce is difficult and finding the support that you need for the process is critically important. This may be family, friends or co-workers or it may be professional support or even divorce coaching. Think about what type of support you may need and brainstorm about things you can do proactively to stay emotionally and physically healthy during the transition.
Settle your Divorce Without Litigation
AMS Mediation offers a wide range of divorce support services for those in the Minnesota area. We understand Minnesota law and can help you navigate the process from start to finish. In most cases, you can successfully navigate the divorce process without ever setting foot in a courtroom and without a huge financial burden. AMS Mediation offers divorce mediation, divorce coaching, as well as parenting support programs that can give you the support and guidance to manage custody and co-parenting as well. For more information, call our team at 952-252-1492.
