Negotiating your divorce in Springfield, IL, can be a good option to limit the costs and strain of divorce while giving couples more control over the process. However, there are several concerns spouses have as they approach divorce negotiations, including how to negotiate at all. An experienced divorce attorney in Springfield can help you prepare for negotiations. There are also some things you can do with or without the help of an attorney to make negotiations easier.
Tips to Negotiate Divorce Agreements More Effectively
You want to prepare yourself before negotiations. Divorce negotiations are not easy, but mentally preparing yourself and gathering the necessary information can help significantly. There are steps you can take beforehand and during discussions to facilitate better negotiations and secure a better outcome for your family. These include:
1. Communicate and Compromise
Compromise is essential in divorce negotiations. Even in an uncontested divorce where spouses agree on the major aspects of the divorce, there are still specific issues that must be negotiated, and spouses are unlikely to agree on all these issues. Both spouses must be willing to engage in give and take to reach a beneficial outcome for their family.
If you refuse to be open-minded to alternate suggestions or refuse to give up some of the things you want in the settlement, divorce negotiations will take a long time and may be entirely impossible to resolve outside of litigation.
2. Know the Facts and Important Information
It’s important to do your research before negotiations. You need to know the basic information being negotiated and prepare accordingly. This includes securing asset information and evaluating assets, determining what your spouse is likely to want in the divorce settlement, and what laws will affect your finances and property.
If decisions about your children are being made, be sure that you are aware of necessary schedules and specific needs that must be addressed in a parenting plan.
3. Determine Your Own Goals
You should enter negotiations knowing what you want to get from a divorce settlement. Determine what you are willing to compromise on and what you cannot compromise on. Review your priorities, and know what is most important to you in negotiations.
Knowing this information in advance can help you navigate discussions more easily and can help you focus on your own needs rather than your emotions about your spouse.
4. Keep Negative Emotions Out of Negotiations
If you allow your negative emotions to lead to divorce negotiations, the conversations are likely to get much more heated and less productive. It is completely understandable and normal to be upset or frustrated with the divorce or with your spouse.
These emotions should not interfere with negotiations, however. You want to control negative emotions and make decisions that focus on cooperation and the interests of your family.
5. Determine What Shared Interests You Have
Throughout negotiations, you and your spouse want to identify shared interests and goals you have for the divorce settlement. This can help you find common ground and also determine where those goals differ. These shared interests may be more general, such as wanting what is right for your children, or maybe more specific.
6 .Know When to Walk Away From Negotiations
It’s crucial to know when divorce negotiations are not working. While you should go into the process willing to work with your spouse, if your spouse does not do the same, they may take advantage of you. If your spouse is refusing to work through issues together, unwilling to compromise, hiding assets, or dragging out the process of negotiation, it may be time to consider litigation or other methods of resolving your divorce.
FAQs
Q: How Do You Win in Divorce Negotiations?
A: Beginning divorce negotiations to win is the wrong way to approach the process. The ideal outcome of these negotiations is that both you and your spouse walk away with a fair amount of marital property and the financial support you need to continue living well. If you have children, then divorce negotiations should also significantly focus on their interests.
Assuming that one spouse will win and one will lose in negotiations defeats the goal of negotiation and may make it impossible for you and your spouse to reach a fair and beneficial solution.
Q: What Is a Wife Entitled to in a Divorce Settlement in Illinois?
A: A wife is entitled to a fair portion of marital assets in a divorce settlement in Illinois. A wife is also entitled to request spousal support and request child custody and/or support. These rights are true of both spouses, regardless of gender. The right to request custody or support is different from the right to receive those things in the marital agreement. The court will only approve a marital agreement if it is fair to both spouses and in the interests of children.
Q: How Much Is a Divorce in Illinois if Both Parties Agree?
A: How much a divorce in Illinois costs, if both parties agree, will rely on certain factors about their situation. Uncontested divorces are one of the simplest and least-costly ways to get divorced, but there are still costs. This includes the cost of a mediator or attorneys for each spouse, filing fees, and court costs for the approval hearing. There may also be other professionals involved in the process of valuing property.
Q: Is My Wife Entitled to Half My Business if We Divorce in Illinois?
A: A wife might be entitled to half of a spouse’s business in a divorce in Illinois, depending on when the business was acquired. In Illinois, marital property is split equitably in the divorce, and marital property includes nearly all property obtained throughout a couple’s marriage, with some exceptions.
If the business was started during a marriage, a spouse is likely entitled to half. However, if the business was acquired before marriage, a spouse is likely not entitled to half the business.
Contact Stange Law Firm in Springfield, Illinois
It is often much easier to navigate a divorce with the support of a skilled attorney. An attorney has the resources and knowledge needed to gather crucial information, help you determine your goals, and protect your interests during negotiations. Contact Stange Law Firm today to see how we can help.
