How Do I Divorce by Agreement?

Divorcing by agreement is popular in China and is catching on in the United States. Chinese law allows couples to divorce by agreement, whereby the husband and wife come to an agreement regarding related issues and the agreement is ratified by a civil administration bureau. The fast and inexpensive nature of this process led to development of a similar alternative in the U.S. Options in the U.S. involve the 3-step divorce–a process where your divorce documents can be drafted for only $299 saving you thousands of dollars!

Couples who want to avoid the stress and expense of litigation are turning to mediation and arbitration, with or without the assistance of a divorce lawyer. Instead of going to family court, they attend mediation sessions to resolve their financial and childcare issues. In contested divorce cases, they get divorce help from attorneys qualified to settle matters out of court. And sometimes, its possible to work things out with a lawyer or mediator whereby you can have experts custom prepare your divorce documents and guide you on your way to the next chapter in your life.

This contemporary method of divorcing often makes it easier for families to maintain positive, or at least civil, relationships with each other. The emotional and financial stress of a legal proceeding is avoided and some families even find that their relationships are strengthened in the process. When necessary, trained mediators provide information regarding divorce rights. Throughout the process, they guide the divorcing couple to a mutually-agreeable arrangement regarding property, finances, and child custody.

Couples meet face-to-face and open communication and full disclosure are encouraged during these meetings. This is the only way to reach an effective conclusion to the marriage. It also helps families get out of the bitter and contentious battle that they may have been embroiled in prior to this time. Mediation is also helpful for couples who find themselves at an impasse regarding divorce discussions. An agreed divorce truly is designed to be a winning situation for all involved.

The mediator prepares a marital settlement agreement that outlines financial divisions and child visitation and support. Some mediators will even help divorcing parents create a parent plan that outlines the parenting responsibilities and schedule of each adult. This reduces the chance of parents engaging in childcare arguments, which can negatively affect their children. Each parent knows exactly what is expected in terms of childcare.

Divorcing by agreement may not be the most common approach but more couples are taking advantage of it. Some represent themselves during the mediation, while others choose to retain a divorce lawyer to ensure that their divorce rights do not go unaddressed. The result is an amicable and affordable parting of ways rather than an expensive and messy battle in court. Even better, should the two parties find a way to get along enough to settle their differences so that they can move on, do it yourself divorce options, like the 3-step divorce process, make it easy to move on and save thousands of dollars.