Separation and Divorce can be a lot like Vegas!
You can spend a fortune with the hopes that you’ll win, or make some good decisions and know when less is more. Here are a few ways to keep those assets in the bank.
- Financial Know How: You will need to produce your financial information in the spirit of full financial disclosure. For many, this is a daunting job, but leaving it in the hands of your legal team can be very costly and time consuming. When you do not have the skill to pull this information together, or for that matter understand it, engage a PCCS Financial Divorce Analyst who can assist you to put all the pieces together in a neat and tidy sum (pardon the pun).
You save time, money and stress. And, you will become better educated, empowered and far better equipped to make decisions that will help move your process along.
- Your lawyer is not your therapist: Most people want to vent their emotional feelings about the separation and often take up their lawyer’s time discussing things that have very little to do with the legal process. Your lawyer is not your therapist and nor do they want to be. At the price you are paying your lawyer per hour it just doesn’t make sense to use the time to vent. Understand that you may need to talk to a health professional, counsellor or therapist, someone to address your personal issues.
Don’t be embarrassed; get help from a PCCS Counsellor. Your dollars will go much further and you will accomplish a lot more.
- That’s it we’re going to court: Be careful with this threat. There is nothing that will open the money tap faster than a litigious, positional approach to your separation and divorce. A day in court could total over $10,000 (combined), not to mention the additional $20,000 or more it may take to get there. Instead, try to understand what it is that you are really fighting over and sit down and talk about it. If you can’t speak to one another, then obtain the assistance of a mediator. Mediation is a less expensive option that helps you create an outcome that you can both live with at a fraction of the cost.
Even if you go to court, you will likely be encouraged to try mediation at some point in the long and drawn out court process. Mediation is effective and efficient. Call to speak with a PCCS Mediator to understand your options.
- Be Prepared: You may be called on to negotiate options for settlement. Don’t go unprepared! Understand what will be discussed and have your information ready. If you are unsure, get help. A Financial Divorce Analyst can help you analyze your options, alternatives, and share creative ideas to achieve the outcomes you both want. Also, if you need certain information for a meeting that has not been received, than make sure you get it before hand to review it. Don’t waste your time and money attending costly meetings to find out you didn’t receive the information you need.
Remember, no one wants a long and drawn out process that leaves you feeling worse off than when you started. A dollar saved today is a dollar the family will have tomorrow.
Jo-Anne Fiore PCCS Divorce Financial Analyst
www.pccs.ca
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