Divorce does not have to be hostile. Many couples come to a mutual understanding that the relationship is over and want as little stress as possible. This is a collaborative divorce; if you handle the situation correctly, you can avoid court altogether.
According to World Population Review, California has a relatively low divorce rate of nine percent. However, there are still thousands of divorces yearly, with over 700,000 residents in the greater Stockton area. If you want your divorce to be as stress-free as possible, see below for some mistakes to avoid during the process.
Compromise for the bigger picture
The most important part of an amicable divorce is compromising. If you are unwilling to compromise on your priorities, you might as well go to court and have a judge settle your marriage. Compromising is easier said than done. Keep the big picture in mind and prepare to suffer some losses.
Do not spend your assets
A big misunderstanding people have during divorce is how marital property works. If you spend all your cash and sell your assets, your spouse still has an entitlement to half of what you owned during the marriage. Trying to hide or spend marital property only causes more pain because you will have to pay your spouse back anyways.
There is much more to collaborative divorce than this article can cover. Keep communication open and listen to your spouse’s concerns. Divorce is always tricky, but with patience and open-mindedness, you can significantly reduce the stress by avoiding court and handling the divorce on your terms.