After you decide to prepare online divorce papers, most probably you will be told that you are not able to negotiate a fair divorce settlement without any support. This is mainly because most attorneys believe that no one can do this better than they do. For many divorcees, that’s true after all. Discussing important issues with someone you can barely find common ground with is tough on anybody. For some, it is also inevitable specifically because they cannot afford to get an attorney.
Even though you have decided to use a web-based divorce kit to save some money for covering expensive legal fees, you should realize that you are very likely to end up discussing some issues yourself no matter whether or not there is an attorney on your side. If your case is complicated, either your lawyer will constantly argue with another party getting you nowhere, or you and your spouse will get sick of continuous fighting so that you two decide to discuss your matters on your own.
Even if you think that you cannot negotiate all your issues by yourself, it does make sense to discuss if not all then at least some of them to save your precious time and money, if you know how to do it right, of course. Below, there are six settlement negotiation tips that will come in handy to you:
- Get a better sense of your financial picture before negotiations
If you have no idea what your current financial situation is, it is highly recommended to seek advice from an expert who can help you understand your finances better before you start discussing anything. There is no point in discussing your financial issues unless you know for sure what you own, owe, and are entitled to upon divorce.
Hiring a financial consultant sounds like a plan! But if even after talking to an expert you still don’t feel like negotiating financial issues, don’t do this by yourself. Remember that you can lose more if you don’t get a lawyer than you could if you got one.
- Ascertain yourself that you are aware of the basics of child custody
Keep in mind that a judge will put your minors’ interests first. So, unless he or she has an obvious reason not to do so, you will be required to obey the relevant laws that are in force in your particular location. Be ready that after you prepare online divorce papers, you will be asked to provide a parenting schedule developed to allow both parents to connect with their kids. A judge will still require both you and your partner to negotiate a fair settlement agreement.
Of course, you don’t have to earn a law degree to get an idea of what you have to know to hold talks. Spend a few hours talking to a divorce educator to get a deeper insight into the divorce system and only then schedule a negotiation meeting with another party.
- Think about all your wants in advance
This may sound simple for you. However, you may find it difficult to determine what you want without giving a great deal of thought to what exactly is fair for you. Decide on what you want precisely. Come up with a list of all your wants ranking them in order of their importance. You have very few chances to get everything you want; however, you have more chances to get what is most valuable to you.
- Control your emotions
Of course, it is not that easy to manage your emotional state when you are boiling with anger. Thereby, most divorcees would rather prefer to let their attorneys negotiate than do it themselves. However, if you are willing to benefit from online divorce filing as soon as possible, then you should keep your balance to settle all your issues yourself within the shortest possible time.
- Don’t neglect to defer to your spouse’s opinion
We are sorry, but your opinion is not the only one that matters. So, it is in your interest to keep your mind open when another party talks. Give a great deal of thought to all possible scenarios that can meet your needs, as well as serve the interests of your kids. Weigh your partner’s proposals. The more alternatives you have, the higher the chances of coming to an understanding with your “almost” ex are.
- Develop your strategy in time
If you have no idea about what your next step is, nothing good will come of it. To succeed, make a plan and develop a strong strategy to implement it in advance. For this, you should know for sure what you need, as well as get an idea of how to get it. Don’t bite off more than you can chew and be ready to take the middle path.
