I tell new clients to prepare themselves at the start of their divorce. My warning – A divorce is typically not a sprint but is usually a marathon! So, prepare yourself accordingly! So, how does one go about avoiding that “marathon”?
Here are my top tips to help you avoid total exhaustion after your divorce.
Tip One: Establish Your Top Priorities
I can’t tell you how critically important this truly is. Contested divorce litigation moves slowly and is very expensive! Some individuals come to the initial conference with a warrior’s mindset. They are often “hurt” and want to lash back by fighting everything. Please understand that there is really no “winner” or “loser” in divorce litigation. That “fight at all costs” approach is a mistake for most people. Why? Because litigating all the small issues will take forever and likely cost a fortune!
Some divorce lawyers may not agree with me on this. Many are willing to champion every fight their client wants. Others seem to have a form “checklist”. They start with the first item on the top of their checklist and won’t move on to item 2 until number 1 has been resolved. Yes. This is … Read More... “Tips to Avoid Exhaustion After Your Divorce”
What I have sensed for a few years has now been corroborated by Gregg Herman, who chairs the American Bar Association Family Law Section. He says, “Divorce has become far less litigious in that more cases are settled than litigated.” The members of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers have noticed the same phenomenon. In a poll last year, 58 percent of its members indicated that more of their divorce cases over the past five years were settled without trial. Only 12 percent said they were resolving fewer cases without trial. James Hennenhoefer, the president of the Academy, believes that there is a clear preference especially among middle-income clients to resolve cases with less contention, in part to cut down on costs.