There are two fears that many spouses have once they decide to file for divorce. The first is that they are scared about what their post-divorce life will be like. The second is that they fear the financial expense of going through a divorce. Both of these things can be managed, but today we’re going to focus on the latter: the cost of getting a divorce.
When it comes to this topic, there are a couple of basic strategies that a person can employ to efficiently and effectively manage their divorce. The first is to manage your own emotions and approach to the divorce. If you are combative with your soon-to-be-ex and arguing over every little element of your divorce, then it will draw out the divorce and make things more costly. It is better to keep your emotions in check. You can still say what you feel — but do so in a respectful manner. Remember: your soon-to-be-ex has feelings and thoughts on the matter too.
Another effective strategy is to gauge what you want out of your divorce. Is that sofa worth fighting over? Do you really need asset X or piece of property Y? Sometimes not fighting over these things can be a blessing in disguise. For example, there are a lot of taxes associated with home ownership — and if you truly don’t want a home that you and your soon-to-be-ex own, but you are feeling inclined to fight him or her on it anyway because you don’t want them to “win,” then it may be time to reassess your approach to the topic.
Divorce is expensive, yes. But it doesn’t have to be crippling. There are ways that you can manage your divorce, and yourself, to ensure a more expedient process.
Source: Huffington Post, “How to Get Divorced Without Going Broke,” Karen Covy May 24, 2016