Maybe you’ve had enough and thought that for the sake of yourself and your parent it was time to move on. Or maybe your spouse has come to you looking for a separation, which can’t have been easy to hear. Whatever side you’re on, divorce is a difficult thing, and can take a real toll on those involved.

It can be easy to freeze up or even to blow up when trying to deal with a divorce. Don’t let the stress get to you, however difficult it feels now, it will pass. We’ve put together a guide with three things you should know if you’re getting divorced. Keep reading to check it out.

What Will Happen To The Kids?

This is often the first and almost always the most difficult question a divorcing couple will have to ask themselves. The presence of children makes the divorce process ever more complex, and things can be very tough to figure out. The key here is to communicate, talk to your partner is possible and try work out something between you going forward. Speak to your children as well, if they’re too young to understand, try to reassure them that everything will be ok. Older children will know something is up straight away, so it’s often best to come clean as early as possible and avoid them trying to figure things out for themselves.

The last thing you want is a custody battle, so if things can’t be worked out amicably between you and your partner, you should consider seeking advice from family lawyers to discuss what your best options are moving forward.

What Will Happen To Our Finances?

Divorce proceedings can be protracted and incredibly complex, especially for couples who have been together for a long time and have their finances and affairs intertwined. You and your partner are going to need to come to an agreement about how these finances should be separated. This could be easy or incredibly difficult, depending on the current state of the relationship between the two of you and the nature of the breakup.

If you can both agree on how to split the finances, you will need to apply for a consent order from the authorities to make it legally binding. If coming to an agreement is proving more difficult, you can make use of a mediator to help you resolve issues without having to resort to taking the dispute to a court. If a decision still cannot be reached even with the help of a mediator, you will have to go to court and get a financial order, which means the court will decide how the assets are divided. This is far more involved and more expensive process than coming to an agreement amongst yourselves.

What About Living Arrangements?

This can be a tricky point of contention and is tied into finances and the overall assets shared between you both. If things are amicable enough for you to both remain under one roof for the time being, that is most likely the best way forward. It will allow to further chances to discuss the divorce process and get it over the line quicker, and it will help make things appear more normally and less disrupted if you have children. If things are more tense, one of you might have to consider staying with family, friends, or even a hotel, to avoid antagonizing the situation. 

Conclusion

Getting a divorce is an incredibly challenging time. It can be difficult to know what exactly to do. By following these tips, you can ensure the experience isn’t any more stressful than it needs to be.