You want to get divorced, but you do not want a lot of drama. Do you ask friends that have gone through divorce for tips on how they completed a friendly divorce? You can, but your friends may have unnecessarily spent thousands of dollars on attorneys for their divorce. Here is what you need to know. First, the good news is that, if you and your spouse were able to be civil and behave reasonably toward each other even as your relationship was deteriorating, then your chances of having a friendly divorce are good. Another thing that can keep your divorce from getting ugly is not letting your divorce ruin your finances. Just as an unnecessarily expensive wedding can cast a dark cloud over your marriage, shelling out lots of money for divorce lawyers can sink your amicable divorce. Engaging the services of a California non-attorney legal document assistant can help you keep the peace and focus on the goal of achieving a friendly divorce.
Be Honest With Your Spouse
Dishonesty can easily turn a happily married couple into a divorced couple. It can also turn an friendly divorce into a full blown legal battle. During your divorce process, do not keep any secrets about your financial assets and debts. Also tell your spouse the whole truth about what you want out of the divorce. Having those difficult conversations now is much easier than waiting for the ugly truth to come out in court and will make the possibility of a friendly divorce much more possible.
Friendly Divorce Doesn’t Mean You’re Each Other’s Soulmate
A friendly divorce does not necessarily mean an Instagrammable divorce. Do not feel like you have to call your mother-in-law every weekend after you file for divorce just because you did before you found out about your spouse’s affair. Even if you have a friendly divorce, there is no rule saying you have to congratulate your ex and your ex’s new partner on their engagement on social media and click “like” on the engagement ring pictures. You have a right to feel hurt. Treating each other with respect does not meet you have to be joined at the hip. Achieving a friendly divorce requires respect, and sometimes distance, for each other to heal during a painful process.
Do Not be in Too Much of a Hurry to Start Your Post-Divorce Life
A friendly divorce in California can completed rather quickly. A married couple can be legally divorced in as little as 181 days after service of the divorce papers. Even if you have fallen madly in love with someone new, do not make any financial commitments with your new partner until your divorce is final. Likewise, you should not move out of California until the date of dissolution printed on your final judgment of divorce. Friendly divorces can turn ugly quite unexpectedly when one party feels emotionally rushed or pushed out of the marriage.
Friendly Divorces and Lawyers Don’t Mix
Do not let lawyers put ideas in your head or take money out of your bank account. Some people will tell you to “lawyer up” as soon as you find out that your marriage is over. This is not always the best advice, though. Hiring a lawyer can make a potentially friendly divorce more complicated than it needs to be. Even if the law firm’s only role in your divorce is to prepare and file court documents, the financial strain of paying for divorce lawyers will put additional strain on your relationship with your spouse, even as you try to keep things friendly.
A People’s Choice is Your Best Friend in a Friendly Divorce
A registered legal document assistant can prepare your divorce documents at an affordable price. Contact A People’s Choice about filing paperwork for your drama-free divorce. Call us today at 800-747-2780.
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