What Should Divorcing Spouses Agree Upon?

When a couple divorces, the way things play out all come down to how much in agreement the two parties are about important aspects of the divorce. It should be up to the divorcing couple rather than a judicial official to make decisions about personal issues like child custody and debt. Unfortunately, some couples wouldn't be divorcing if they were able to agree on things. To find out how a couple's willingness to agree on divorce matters can affect the course of a divorce, read on.

Get Ready to Discuss and Agree on These Major Issues

If you don't take the opportunity to forge some agreements, you might as well set aside both more time and more money when it comes to divorce. To get you started, take a look at these major issues that will need to be addressed during your divorce, sooner or later.

1. Marital property divisions – State law will dictate if you cannot decide on your own, but the judge will approve any agreement that appears fair to both parties.

2. Marital debts divisions – It's best if each party pays their own private debts and that joint debts are evenly divided.

3. Parenting plans – Who but the parents know best about the needs of their child? Contested child custody issues can be one of the worst issues to be in disagreement about, due to emotional luggage attached to it. There are so many parenting plan choices out there that couples must be able to choose one that fits their needs. Speak to your divorce attorney to find out about joint, shared, legal, physical, and bird's nest parenting plans. Custody choices often drive child support and visitation issues. Once a plan is chosen, the income of the parents is evaluated to determine who will pay child support. Child support is one area where the state and the judge want will want to have total control, so don't bother making your own child support agreement.

4. Spousal support – Also known as alimony, this can be another contentious area. Just know that if one side requests it and the other side is not in agreement about it, it can cause problems that may mean hiring a forensic accountant to sort things out.

If you and your spouse can agree to the above issues, you are very likely to avoid the expense and time of going before a judge. If only one or two issues are in contention, consider divorce mediation. Speak to your divorce attorney to find out more.

Share