Hollywood loves to portray divorces as all-out court battles, where each spouse tries to destroy the other. While it certainly is possible to have a bitter end to your marriage, you do not have to go through the strain of a contentious divorce. In fact, according to reporting from NBC News, about 95% of divorcing couples opt for uncontested ones.
With an uncontested divorce, you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse work together to reach an acceptable divorce settlement rather than asking a judge to decide property division, child custody and other divorce-related matters for you. Still, you may wonder whether your husband or wife is open to this friendlier alternative.
Your bottom lines
Even if you have plenty of marital and separate assets, your spouse may have concerns about wasting financial resources on a protracted divorce battle. If so, he or she may be willing to entertain an uncontested divorce. After all, uncontested divorces are typically far less expensive than drawn-out court fights.
Your children’s emotional well-being
Divorce can be difficult for children of all ages to process. If you and your spouse have an ugly end to your marriage, though, your kids may suffer additional emotional and psychological harm. Showing the young ones in your family that you and your spouse can work together may help them cope with the end of your marriage.
Just as an uncontested divorce may be better for your children’s psyches, it may also keep stress under control for you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse. Ultimately, regardless of whether you think your spouse is agreeable to an uncontested divorce, there is probably no harm in at least bringing up the idea.
