Getting Married? Maybe Divorced? Relationship Resolutions for 2016

Instead of Happy New Year, maybe it’s just a hopeful one: You’re getting married, or maybe you’re getting divorced. Either way, the calendar is about to turn. With it comes an opportunity to start fresh and take control of your life. Some advice from the attorneys at CT Mediation Center.

If you’re getting married:

Resolve to consider a prenuptial agreement. While the media tends to paint this as a “love-me, love-me-not scenario,” a prenuptial agreement is more than picking petals off a daisy. It’s a critical tool to estate planning and a relationship resolution you should consider for the following reasons:

  • Resolve to talk money before the wedding day. If you can’t talk money matters before you get married, it’s going to get worse once money really matters. As in buying a house, saving for college, planning for retirement. If you or your partner cannot talk about dollars and cents without arguing, the attorneys at CT Mediation Center can help you understand the benefits of a prenuptial agreement. Already married? A postnuptial agreement might get your financial planning back on track.
  • Protect your assets. The average age of newly marrieds is 30. That means you, or your partner, are likely to own more than ugly dorm room furniture. There might be a house or two, a vacation home, even a business. A prenuptial agreement allows you to legally establish what was yours before you get married. The attorneys at CT Mediation Center can give you advice on how to structure a prenuptial agreement that works best for you.
  • Debt management. If you have assets, you likely have debt. Some of it comes from your singlehood, some of it will come from your married years. That means, in the event of a split, you will have your share of bills to pay. A prenuptial agreement from CT Mediation Center is one way to protect yourself and your financial future.
  • Protect your children. Child custody and child support issues cannot be covered in a prenuptial agreement. That means there are other steps you can take to attend to their wellbeing in the event of a divorce. The attorneys at CT Mediation Center have the resources and expertise to make sure your family is protected in the event of a divorce.

If you’re getting divorced:

Consider divorce mediation or a collaborative divorce. The first is a process in which divorcing spouses sit down with a neutral third party to resolve the issues in their divorce, whereas the second is when you and your spouse retain separate attorneys and negotiate an agreement  acceptable to both parties. Both approaches offer powerful advantages. The attorneys at CT Mediation Center can help you decide which approach is best for you.

  • Trim your friends and family list. It’s bound to happen anyway, so make this a healthy resolution, not an unhappy one. Going forward, decide where you want to be, who you want to be with, and for how long. This is an excellent way to trim toxic people from your life.
  • Resolve to skip social media. You’ve seen it before. Either A-list celebrities or even friends and family members get tangled up in the divorce uglies on Facebook or Twitter. Whether you choose a traditional divorce, a collaborative or a mediated divorce, stay away from social media. Once started, it never ends. Your words will live forever online, so don’t go there. Plus, it might get your children pulled in the middle of an already painful situation.
  • Be fair to your kids. They’re already suffering enough. It’s not uncommon for them to believe the divorce is their fault. Resolve to make this painful season easier on them. Promise yourself to speak kindly about your ex in their presence. Resolve not to make them the bone in your end-of-marriage tug of war. And if you and your ex can’t go gently into that good night, ask the attorneys at CT Mediation Centers about a negotiated divorce, collaborative divorced or mediated divorce.

Learn More

To learn more about how divorce mediation can help your case, contact any of our Divorce Attorney Mediators or Certified Divorce Financial Analysts at CT Divorce Mediation Centers. Divorce and Family Mediation and Collaborative Law are all we do. We have offices in Madison, New Haven, Cheshire, West Hartford, Glastonbury, West Hartford, and Windsor, CT. To find out more information or to schedule a consultation with our divorce experts, call us at (860) 986-1141.

DISCLAIMER:This publication is not meant to constitute legal, accounting, financial, investment advisory, or other professional advice. If legal, financial, investment advisory or other professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person such as CT Divorce Mediation center, should be sought.