In this blog posting Cheryl and Joe Dillon offer four tips for couples preparing for divorce.

• Don’t use the legal process as a weapon to try to get even with your spouse. If you’re thinking of going this route, plan on bankrupting yourself financially and emotionally because you’ll spend up to $200,000 and waste two to three years of your life fighting this battle.

• Beware of coming to agreements with your spouse prematurely. Given the financial complexities of divorce, there’s a lot you “won’t know you don’t know” so it’s important to take the time to do the proper discovery before you do any deciding.

• Don’t have unrealistic expectations of what you can get/what you’ll pay. Take time to learn the facts/realities. Let a qualified professional give you some perspective and help you come to a fair and realistic settlement.

• Choose your divorce professional carefully. Instead of hiring lawyers as your first step, try divorce mediation. In mediation, a trained neutral third party well-versed in the laws and financial matters of divorce will help you and your spouse negotiate directly with the goal of reaching a settlement you both find fair.

#Divorce #BenefitsofMediation #Finances