Many divorces require a significant amount of time in court because the spouses involved don’t agree on anything. A judge has to hear the details of the marriage and each spouse’s circumstances, in addition to reviewing financial and legal records related to the household. They have to consider many different elements when deciding how to split up property and/or divide parenting responsibilities.
Litigated divorces are notorious for being very stressful and devastatingly expensive. People often waste a lot of time and energy fighting over minute details, like how they will divide a cache of collectibles, which ends up intensifying emotions and increasing costs while having minimal impact on the final outcome.
Those who are hoping for a more pragmatic approach to ending their marriage might decide that they would prefer to avoid disputes via an uncontested divorce. Does the attempt to resolve matters outside of court work out for many couples that are divorcing in Missouri?
Marital dissolution works for many couples
Despite how quickly people jump to the conclusion that those preparing for divorce would likely never be able to work matters out on their own, the truth is that quite a few couples can make marital dissolution by mutual agreement work for their families. The catch is that they need to agree on everything from custody and support to property division matters to pursue an uncontested divorce.
Some couples collaborate by having their lawyers negotiate the settlement terms. Others agree to attend mediation because they don’t currently see a way to compromise on property division disagreements or other disputes. Provided that there is an amicable agreement signed by both parties, they only require a judge to review and approve their dissolution paperwork rather than to hear all about their family circumstances and assets to make up a custody plan and divide their property.
Limiting disputes benefits everyone
Lower tension levels in divorces can help people heal themselves more quickly while also keeping their overall expenses lower. It can also facilitate a healthier co-parenting relationship between those who share children and will need to see each other frequently for many years. In these ways, recognizing the viability of uncontested divorce proceedings or marital dissolution can benefit those who are ready to end their marriages in Missouri under relatively non-contentious circumstances.