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Four tips to get the most out of your divorce settlement

On Behalf of | Jan 28, 2025 | Divorce |

As we’ve said before on the blog, divorce is a major financial transaction that has to be taken seriously. If you don’t adequately prepare and instead improvise your way through the legal issues that wait you, then you could wind up facing poor outcomes that leave you in tough financial positioning. So, as you prepare to head into your marriage dissolution, it’s critical that you have a solid legal strategy. And since there’s at least a decent chance that your marriage dissolution will resolve through negotiations, then you’ll have to know how to get the most out of settlement talks.

We realize that’s easier said than done, but there are some key considerations that you can take into account as you build your negotiation strategy. Let’s look at some of them here so that you know how to build a strong framework for your negotiation strategy.

Tips for getting the most out of your divorce settlement negotiations

There are many ways to approach divorce negotiations. Here are some tips for developing your strategy so that you protect your interests as fully as possible:

  1. Conduct an inventory: You need to have a firm understanding of the extent of the marital estate, that way you know what you can and should advocate for during the property division process. But you can’t rely on what you think is in the estate, and you certainly can’t trust your spouse to lay out all the assets in play. So, be diligently in identifying all marital assets that should be subjected to equitable division so that you can ensure you acquire your fair share.
  2. Identify goals: You need to know what you want out of the divorce process before sitting down for negotiations. This will give you direction as far as developing your strategy. But if you can identify what your spouse wants out of the process, then you can figure out what sort of leverage you can use to give them what they want while protecting your interests in those matters that are most important to you.
  3. Create a post-divorce budget: A realistic budget will give you guidance as to what you need to seek out of your divorce negotiations. It’ll also give you persuasive talking points as you seek what’s necessary to acquire stability post-divorce.
  4. Find effective means of communication: Settlement negotiations can be tough when you and your spouse don’t get along and communication is strained. And you don’t want to resort to personal attacks that throw up obstacles to effective negotiations. So, if you and your spouse can’t carry on a conversation without getting into an argument, then you might want to send all communication through your attorneys or put your requests and responses down in writing. This may foster better cooperation and help streamline resolution.

There are, of course, many other steps you can take to get the most out of your divorce settlement. So, as you prepare to head into your divorce, be sure to thoroughly think through what you can do to protect your interests.

Take control of your divorce outcome

Although at times it can feel like your divorce is spinning away from you, by being proactive you can regain control and better steer toward the outcome that you want. That’ll require a strong legal strategy, though, which is why now is the time to start thinking through your options and what you can do to best protect your short and long-term interests.