There are many reasons why you and your spouse may desire an uncontested divorce. You may share children and recognize how any conflict between the two of you can lead to serious issues for the kids. On the other hand, perhaps it is the cost of divorce that has you hoping to keep things amicable. Research looking at the average cost to end a marriage makes it clear that the more you litigate, the more you typically pay for the process.
Regardless of what motivates you to keep conflict to a minimum, you may worry about your ability to follow through with your good intentions because you and your spouse currently do not agree on much of anything. There are actually several different means of reaching an amicable resolution for the matters on which you do not yet agree.
Negotiate a postnuptial agreement
If you still believe there might be hope for the two of you to work through your current conflict and preserve your marriage, a postnuptial agreement could be a powerful tool to achieve that goal.
The process of negotiating a postnuptial agreement involves determining how you will divide your property in the event of a divorce. You can also talk about your expectations for one another and the relationship going forward. Some couples even find that postnuptial agreements help them improve a struggling marriage.
Collaborate with one another through your attorneys
If you don’t think that the two of you can sit down to negotiate directly, you can talk about your goals and preferences in depth with your attorneys and then have them discuss issues with one another. A collaborative divorce process in which you cooperate as you prepare to file can be much simpler and less stressful than contested, litigated proceedings.
Pursue alternative dispute resolution
Both mediation and arbitration are powerful dispute resolution systems that bring in a third party to help you and your spouse resolve your current disagreements. If such efforts are successful, the two of you will have an agreement that allows for an uncontested divorce filing in a faster overall dissolution process.
Making use of different tools can help those currently disagreeing with their ex pursue an uncontested divorce.