The divorce process doesn’t have to be as expensive as many couples allow it to be. Many couples think they can get what they want through anger and spite. However, with negotiation and compromise couples can avoid a costly and emotional trial and settle property division and other divorce issues on their own terms.
In many divorces, there is one important issue that stands above all others: children. Why would parents allow a judge – someone who knows nothing about the child or how the child was raised – to make decisions regarding child custody? This is something that should be determined by the people who know the child best – the parents. Co-parenting a child requires cooperation, so the parents might as well learn how to cooperate with each other now, since they will have to communicate with each other at least until the child is 18-years-old.
The same goes for all other assets. There are rarely advantages to a divorce trial. There is no guarantee that the outcome will change. The court is not interested in hearing about how the marriage went sour and, as such, will not typically make judgments regarding adultery or other scandalous behavior. Plus, a lengthy and costly trial can cause extreme emotional distress, and in the end does not produce any real winners.
Couples would do well to work out divorce issues together and not leave decisions to a third party. Although it would be unrealistic to expect absolutely no conflict in a divorce, by working together a couple can quickly resolve issues and move forward.
