When a relationship breaks down, there are usually housing and financial matters to be sorted out. Even if you have agreed on everything, it is important to:
- Make sure that both of you have fully disclosed your financial positions, so that you can know that any agreement is fair.
- Have a "consent order" from the court.
- Make or review your will.
Mediation or a collaborative approach can help. Even if that does not resolve everything, it can help to clarify what is disputed.
It is important to consider child support and how that will be resolved.
Once disclosure has been made and we are clear about all the assets and their value, we can try to negotiate a settlement. Most cases do reach settlement by negotiation. We can then draw up a consent order for the court to approve, to give legal affect to your settlement.
Cases sometimes have to go to court, if there is no agreement, or if one person does not give proper disclosure, or even if the negotiations are drifting with no obvious end in sight.
If your case does go to court, then the court will set out a timetable for the case from the outset, with built-in opportunities for settlement as you go along.
