Contentious Vs. Non-contentious Divorce
Contentious vs. Non-Contentious Divorce
If you and your spouse have decided that divorcing is the healthiest way forward, you are likely feeling overwhelmed right now. Overwhelmed by the legal, practical, financial, and emotional challenges that are traditionally associated with this major life transition. It is not only okay to be overwhelmed right now, it is absolutely normal to be feeling this way. Thankfully, you don’t have to navigate all of these challenges alone. A financial planner can help you sort out how divorce affects your expenses and income. A counselor can assist you with weathering the emotional ups and downs of this process. And an experienced family attorney can provide necessary legal guidance and support moving forward.
Choosing the Right Approach to Divorce for You
When you meet with a lawyer in a risk-free consultation setting, they will almost certainly ask you about your needs, goals, and priorities for your divorce process. Perhaps you’re trying to keep your legal costs low and your divorce as amicable as possible. Perhaps you are primarily concerned with keeping your home or gaining sole custody of your children. Whatever your needs, goals, and priorities are, there is an approach to your divorce strategy that will help you to meet them as efficiently and effectively as possible.
If you and your spouse are willing to work through your disagreements without requiring a judge to settle them for you, you will likely want to take a non-contentious approach to your divorce. A non-contentious divorce is, essentially, a divorce process that doesn’t unfold in a traditional “courtroom battle” fashion. You and your spouse may choose to draw up a draft of an agreement and have your attorneys formalize it. You may choose to enter mediation, pursue attorney-led negotiations, or develop a hybrid approach. Non-contentious divorces tend to be far less time-consuming and costly than contentious divorces are.
With that said, the upfront costs of a contentious divorce process may be worth it to you, depending on your top priorities for this transition. If you and your spouse simply cannot bridge your fundamental differences without judicial intervention, you’ll want to work with an experienced family lawyer to build the strongest possible case on your behalf. Although a contentious process can be stressful to navigate, if the goals you’re pursuing with regard to property division and child custody are worth fighting for, this may be the best divorce process for your unique situation.
Contact The Law Office of Daniel J. Wright
It’s not ideal to pursue any legal-related to divorce without first consulting family lawyers. Family lawyers understand which documents must be filed and will file them timely. They’ll make the most favorable arguments to your side and clearly state what your legal rights are as you pursue the avenues of divorce. Instead of leaving serious divorce-related matters to chance, hire reliable family lawyers, such as the lawyers of The Law Office of Daniel J. Wright.