Mediating Conflict,
Embracing Peace

Don’t allow emotions to undermine settlement negotiations

Sometimes a marriage becomes so contentious that one or both parties simply want to get the divorce out of the way as quickly as possible. But if you are at the point that you cannot have your marriage in your rear-view mirror soon enough, you should probably ease your foot off the gas. It is understandable if you want to get on with your new life, but by rushing to get things wrapped up, you may inadvertently forfeit assets or property to which you are entitled. And this is especially true if you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse are in a high-income situation.

Your desire to get away from your spouse is almost certainly emotionally motivated. But no matter the basis of your irreconcilable differences, it is simply not in your best interests to let your feelings run the show. Doing so can all too easily lead to mistakes when you are negotiating your settlement.

For example, it is quite possible that you and your spouse have assets spread out in a variety of locations, including retirement accounts, stocks and other investments. And if you own one or more homes, those too have value and must be accurately appraised. There may even be pending assets, such as a year-end bonus your spouse is expecting or further contributions to retirement funds to take into account. This is why it is important to take the time necessary to get an accurate inventory of your marital assets.

But admittedly, trying to work out the financial details of a divorce settlement can be very difficult if you are seriously at odds with your spouse. This is why having an experienced high-asset divorce attorney handling your case can really work in your favor. The attorney can go over your finances and help to make sure that you get your fair share of the property and assets that are eligible for division.

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