Divorce is a painful process. Even if you and your partner agree with getting divorced, there are going to be some uncomfortable issues that arise. You and your soon-to-be ex-partner need to discuss important issues, such as child custody, child support and how to divide up your property. The process becomes much more difficult knowing that you will have to share these intimate details of your lives in a public courtroom. There are, however, options for maintaining your dignity and privacy during the divorce process.
Divorce Filings
In regular divorce proceedings, the judge is going to look at your family’s personal information. You will need to submit many financial documents to the Court. Among those, you may need to provide is:
- Income information, such as pay stubs and income tax returns
- Documents related to the property you own
- A list of assets, with values
- Documents related to liabilities, such as loans
- Parenting concerns and expenses
Your attorneys will help you and your former partner gather the information you need to provide to the Court that will become part of the permanent court record.
Collaborative Divorce and Mediation
Collaborative Divorce and Mediation are options for keeping your divorce out of court. When you enter the Collaborative Divorce process you will share your information with a collaborative team that includes your attorneys, divorce coaches and a neutral financial professional. The team will keep that information private, and it is never entered in the public record. In Mediation, you provide your information to a mediator who will help you and your spouse to negotiate a settlement in a private setting, and your information also remains private.
The Value of Privacy
Once your divorce is over, you will want to move on with your life without drama. Your private matters are nobody else’s business, and you can start your life after divorce knowing that the details of your finances and shared parenting are your own. Money cannot buy privacy; you can see that with the Bill and Melinda Gates divorce where people have strong desire to learn about the private lives of others.
Save yourself the stress of having your private information out in the open. If you want to learn more about Collaborative Divorce, contact Lisa Murray at Chase, Berenstein and Murray today.