As our clients proceed through the divorce process, those who are most keenly aware of their interests generally have better outcomes than those who are not as aware of their interests.
How can one identify one’s interests? Very simply, interests are those concerns, fears, needs, wants, desires, values, and visions for the future that are of primary importance to that specific individual. Being first aware of and then prioritizing one’s interests allows the individual to make wiser decisions when engaged in any settlement negotiation….and keep in mind that roughly 90% or more of couples who divorce settle their differences without going to trial.
Here is a small list of examples of interests that might resonate in varying degrees with different divorce clients:
- Maintain a lifestyle
- Obtain further education or start a new career
- Learn how to manage money better
- Live without debt
- Retire at a designated age without fear of becoming penniless in later years
- Keep the divorce dignified and private
- Preserve relationships with family and friends
- Reduce stress
- Receive full disclosure of financial information before making decisions
- Protect the children from the harm that arises when caught in the middle
- Making healthy co-parenting decisions
- Securing the children’s futures
Your attorney’s goals should include helping you move forward into a brighter post-divorce future, by assisting you, the client, in the process of identifying and attaining your interests when you are facing the prospect of a divorce.
BRIAN URBAN & BRIDGETTE POZZUTO
Cleveland’s Collaborative Divorce Attorneys
