When Opting For An Uncontested Divorce Atlanta Couples Opt For A Civilized Separation

By Debra Johnson


It is a sad fact that marriages simply do not seem to last any longer. More and more people separate each year, often resulting in single parent families. Divorces are never easy. There are always a host of emotions involved and in some cases there anger and bitterness prevent couples from separating in an amicable manner. Also, divorces can be prohibitively expensive. However, by opting for an uncontested divorce Atlanta couples can save money and handle the process in an adult manner.

There are many reasons why contested divorces should be avoided. For one thing, they can be extremely expensive. Each partner will need to hire a lawyer and if they cannot come to a settlement agreement on important issues, the matter may be dragged out for a considerable time. In the process, the cost can escalate to crippling dimensions. There is also the fact that contested divorces are public affairs and this can be humiliating.

Even when a couple do not want to contest their separation, much remain to be done to dissolve their union. They have to agree on numerous issues such as the division of their assets and matters such as custody and visitation rights. The best solution is to hire a professional mediator to facilitate the process. This means that only one impartial professional will be required.

When a couple agree to mediation it is not even necessary to hire the services of a lawyer. It is also legal to make use of a specially trained and licensed mediation counsellor. This course of action will be considerably cheaper than the services of an attorney. It is vital, however, to hire an objective professional that will make sure that all the rights of each partner are honoured and that a fair agreement is hammered out.

Unfortunately, mediation is not always the best solution. Successful mediation demands both partners to be willing to communicate and to compromise. If one partner is abusive, violent or utterly unreasonable, no amount of negotiation and mediation is going to achieve a sensible agreement. In such cases the only course of action is to leave the conditions of the separation in the hands of the court.

Reasonable couples can cut the cost of a separation to the bone if they can manage to reach agreement on all the important issues on their own. If they can achieve this they do not have to spend much time with the counsellor or mediator and this can save them a considerable amount of money. This is the ideal course of action for mature adults that desires to minimize the negative effects of their separation.

Once the mediator is sure that there is full agreement in all respects, a separation document will be drawn up and submitted to the court. In most cases the judge will simply make this agreement an order of the court. The separating couple do not even have to go to court and the details of the agreement is deemed to be confidential.

Contested divorces are not just hideously expensive but they can cause long term emotional damage to everyone involved. In fact, in bitterly contested cases both partners often walk away much poorer than they would have if they rather opted for a mature and reasonable separation. All too often the lawyers are the only winners in such cases.




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