November 14, 2018
Separation & Divorce
It can be emotionally draining to come to the conclusion that you want a divorce but, once that decision is made, you need to start preparing for the road ahead.
Here are some of the key things you need to consider once you’ve decided that you want a divorce.
First things first – talk to your partner. They need to know about how you feel and be given a chance to respond.
It may be daunting but getting it out in the open is the first step on the road to moving on.
Next, you could consider a trial separation. This could help you decide if divorcing is what you really want and how it might potentially work – practically and emotionally.
Make a note of your separation date – that is the day on which one or both of you decided that the relationship was over and communicated this fact to the other. You don’t have to separate as in one person leaves the home, as there can be “separation under the one roof”. But the day when one of you considered the relationship to have been over is important as it can impact the timeline of when you can legally apply for a divorce.
If you and your partner are agreeable, couples’ counselling could be something that helps you decide whether or not divorce is the right solution for you.
It’s not for everyone, but if both of you are happy to give it a chance it is something worth considering.
While it’s definitely not easy, try not to let emotions get in the way of some of the practical factors you need to consider. Look at your finances and try to work out how you would survive financially if you were to get divorced.
If you’re a family that’s reliant on two incomes, you need to know that you’d be able to survive on your income alone or that your ex is prepared to provide financial assistance for a time. What sort of lifestyle changes might you have to make in order to get by or live the life you want to live?
Centrelink payments that may be available to you, so investigate these options thoroughly.
Another practical side to getting a divorce, especially for parents, is what will your living and childcare arrangements look like?
Who is likely going to be the main carer, and what sort of sacrifices will that involve?
If you can talk to your partner about this, it can make life a lot easier if you can come to a mutual agreement on when and where your children will spend their time.
Make a list of all your assets and look at how you might fairly divide them if you get a divorce.
Assets could include your home, car, furniture and savings, but also things like investments, superannuation funds, and even your pets. You can do a financial settlement at any time after separation, so you don’t have to wait for a formal divorce before getting finances sorted.
Before you head down the legal route, hire a family lawyer and take your divorce proceedings to court, stop. Have you considered something more amicable, like family mediation?
Mediation can not only save you lots of money, but also months if not years of your time and enormous stress.
Here at Move On, our family mediation services in Perth start from just $1125 per person (plus GST). That’s a whole lot cheaper than the going rate for most family lawyers in Perth.
Family mediation can help you work things out fairly and quickly, allowing you to move on a lot faster than if you went through the Family Courts.
Get in touch with us today and find out how we can help you move on.
Accredited Family Mediator in Perth
Ian’s commitment is simple—to help keep separated couples out of the Family Court and minimise their need for lawyers, saving them time, money and anguish. Under Ian’s guidance, separated couples are able to Move On with their lives through family mediation.
December 13, 2024
Relationships
Navigating co-parenting as divorced parents can be challenging but, with the right tools and mindset, you can create a harmonious environment for your children. Open and effective communication is the key to making this work.
September 27, 2024
Mediation
What happens after family mediation depends entirely on whether you reach agreements on all, some, or none of the issues you are seeking to resolve.
The process was so much quicker and easier than I anticipated – after everything I have heard about lawyers! And it was re-assuring for me to know how much it was going to cost at the start, not when it was all over. Thanks, Ian. I’d recommend you to anyone who wants a solution seeker and quick results.
— Bree F, Fremantle WA
Ian, your patience and persistence really helped us get to an agreement I thought we could never reach. I’d recommend you to anyone who wants to get family issues resolved as painlessly as possible.
— Michael G, Safety Bay WA
Thank you once more for your kindness, wisdom and counsel.
— Georgie N, Wangara WA
Ian worked hard to enable us to reach an agreement. He was always happy to discuss and explain everything we needed.
— Cathy & Steve, Subiaco WA