When your marriage is over and you decide to file for divorce for serious reasons, you need to do it properly, so that both you and your partner are left satisfied with the outcomes. An amicable divorce based on the agreement is the best option to end up your marriage. This is a good way to move apart with convenient conditions and bring less harm to each other. But when it comes to creating a divorce settlement agreement you have to consider all details and processes to make your divorce proceedings as fast, easy, and fruitful as possible.
1. Get the Forms
To start the official forms you need to get the legal forms divorce. Mind that laws and regulations may differ from state to state, so get ensured that your forms are suitable for your place of residence. If you do the divorce online, you are to get the documents package along with the appropriate instructions on how to fill out the forms and file them afterward. In other situation you will have a divorce lawyer to assist you through the whole process.
2. Think of Professional Help
Even if you decide to complete divorce online and get through it without wasting extra money on family law attorney services, it is still highly recommended to get the professional initial consultation at least. You can get it online or find some cheap local professional, but it is vital to get a competent look at your personal case anyway. Otherwise, there is a high chance that you end up with losing beneficial points and getting totally inconvenient divorce conditions.
3. Consider All Details
When you obtain all necessary documents through the reliable divorce service and get someone to assist you, you are ready to start with the basics. You need to provide precise and relevant information on the following things: dates and places of marriage and separation, the reason for separation and divorce (check for the appropriate reason that qualifies for an uncontested divorce in your state), information about mutual children, relevant living conditions, general description of mutual assets and debts, and more. Care that you provide true and precise information so that your forms are considered to be valid.
4. Verify the Agreement
State that both you and your partner voluntarily wish to end the marriage due to certain reasons and verify it with your signatures.
5. Work on Assets and Debts Division
All your assets and debts are to be named either joint or separate ones. If separate ones are to be left for you only after the divorce, joint assets and debts division is to be discussed with your partner beforehand. You need to dwell on what is more important for you, and what is to be handed to your partner fairly. Find the way to divide everything up to the convenience and advances of both sides. After you are over with discussion, list all your mutual assets and debts, and state your agreement on their division.
6. Make Decisions on Marital House
The marital house is to be discussed separately. Think who needs to stay living there more. There are several ways to deal with the issue. You can either sell the house and divide the profits accordingly, or let the custodial parent to live there until the kids are adults and then sell it, or buy to one of the spouses. Anyway, let your final decision be advantageous for both sides.
7. Work on Parenting Plan
If you have mutual children, your divorce process is to be more difficult, since you have to care not only about your personal comfort, but your kids’ comfort as well. Decide whether sole custody, split custody, or shared custody is better for your family. Create parenting plan, discuss holidays and responsibilities, main taboos, and rules. Use parental apps and professional help to grant qualitative care and love to your kids.
8. Settle Child and Spousal Support Terms
If you have minor children, you cannot deprive them of the right to receive child support from non-custodial, while spousal support is obligatory only in specific cases. So, you’d better consult a child custody lawyer on those issues and care to provide your family with decent living conditions no matter your personal preferences.
9. Give It a Final Look
When the documents are ready and all significant details and issues are considered and included, you’d better look through it thoroughly one more time. It is good when you or some specialist proofread the documents to check it for mistakes, information lack, and ambiguous statements. This is to be done to avoid problems with court and misunderstandings with your soon-to-be-ex later on.
10. Get a Therapy
Divorce procedure brings a huge tension and stress to all its participants. So, it is highly recommended to get a therapy either before the divorce, or during the whole process, or afterward and care about your mental and emotional health. You are to find your own way to deal with the issue: go to therapy sessions, take up sports, go on relaxing vacation, meditate, and so on. Pick out the most preferable option and bother about yourself.
11. Move On
The final step for you after you file all the documents is to move on and get prepared for further life. Make plans, arrangements, work on your career perspectives, care about convenient life and conditions, and don’t forget to spend more time with your children, and bother about your personal emotional and mental wellness.