If you are heading for divorce, you may be worried about how complicated and disruptive the process will be. For better or worse, you likely won’t know until the divorce is underway or until you are on the other side of it.
However, some factors are known to cause complications, which may or may not be relevant in your situation.
Complex assets
Dividing property and debts is often the most complicated part of a divorce. Generally, the more sophisticated your assets are and the more properties you have, the more difficult it can be to settle these issues.
In other words, if you or your spouse own a business or have several income streams or commingled assets, complications can arise because these are not easy to evaluate or split up. However, you can minimize setbacks and confusion by consulting financial and legal professionals to untangle everything.
Disagreeing on child custody
Parents are generally very protective of their rights and parenting time, which means they can be combative if they feel either is in jeopardy. If you have a child and you and the other parent disagree on how to share custody, your divorce can get complicated quickly.
Creating a parenting plan can require negotiation, compromise and compliance with state laws. You can also talk to counselors or custody specialists to understand what arrangements can be in your child’s best interests.
Bitter spouses
Is it not unusual to be mad or hurt during a divorce, but if you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse can’t get past the fighting and bitterness toward each other, you could be in for a contentious battle. In these cases, you could wind up fighting over every detail, trying to punish each other and being unable to agree on any aspect of the divorce.
In these scenarios, you could wind up in court and with your divorce dragged out for months or even years. But again, you can prevent this by working with professionals who can help you understand your rights and work toward fair settlements on your behalf.
Anticipating these complicating factors can help you sidestep or resolve them more easily because you can prepare for them.