A new infographic on Huffington Post illustrating what happens to your house in a divorce highlights the opportunities that one can utilize for keeping out of court and bettering the odds of a conflict-free do-it-yourself divorce.

The graphic, link here, starts with a simple question:

What To Do With The House In A Divorce? 

From there a series of questions are presented with appropriate pathways drawn to the next step in the process should you answer Yes or No.

• Does either party want to keep the house?
• Are there sufficient assets for one party to be able to buy out the other?
• Can either party afford to keep the house?
• Do parties agree on value of the house?

Each of these questions have a different step in the process depending on the Y or N. For instance, if neither party wants to keep the house when they decide to file for divorce, they can simply sell it and divide the proceeds. Easy enough, right?

But if one does want to keep it, what happens then? Well, a value for the home must be agreed upon by both parties in order to maintain equitable distribution of assets. If that value cannot be agreed upon after a third party appraisal, then the case will likely head to trial.

However, being able to use outside help such as appraisers and mediators for any type of conflict that arises will improve chances of a successful DIY divorce.

It’s About Keeping An Open Mind. 

By simply asking yourself what you’re willing to negotiate on, you can keep your mind open throughout the entire process. This could lead to being able to divorce without the added financial burden of attorney’s fees and continued fighting as conflict surrounding the end of a marriage tends to perpetually create.

As you consider the alternative of a trial divorce, many of these negotiation points will fall in to place because, otherwise, divorce can cost thousands upon thousands of dollars and be stress-inducing and time-consuming — never good combinations!

If we can help you and your partner walk through a painless divorce process, let us know. Our DIY divorce forms are court-approved and the process is nearly automatic. Regardless of what you decide, best of luck to you!