If your marriage is over, you are likely planning to file for divorce. Before completing any of the paperwork, hire a divorce lawyer. The lawyer makes sure you are completing the paperwork correctly and helps with other divorce-related tasks, such as coming up with terms and agreements between both parties.

Create and Go Over Child Custody Terms

Before you worry about the separation of assorted assets, the custody of the children is something you must consider. When you have children with your ex and you are getting divorced, you need to keep in mind that it is important to provide as much normalcy as possible while the children start to transition from having one home to having two separate homes. Children can take divorce hard and may even feel like they are to blame for the failed marriage. You want your children to know they are not the cause of the divorce while making sure they receive support and love from both you and your ex. Consider coming up with fair child custody terms that you and your ex can agree upon. Your lawyer will help you come up with ideal terms and then go over them with your ex and their attorney to see if there is an agreement to these terms.

Put a Plan Together for the Fair Distribution of Assets

The divorce lawyer works closely with you to come up with an ideal plan for the distribution of different assets belonging to you and your ex. When these assets are acquired during the marriage, they are often considered the property of both individuals. However, you may want to keep certain items, such as furniture, artwork, and vehicles. While you cannot expect to keep everything acquired during the marriage, even if you were the breadwinner, you can start coming up with a list of belongings that you are willing to part with. Your ex can agree or disagree with your plan. If your ex disagrees with your plan and the various requests you are making to keep certain belongings to yourself, you will need to attend a mediation session where you, your lawyer, your ex, and the ex's lawyer are all present. It may seem like a frightening process, but mediation is ideal for both parties.

Get Both Parties to Agree During Mediation

Your lawyer can talk for you during a mediation session in which you are going over different terms of the divorce with your ex and their lawyer. The session is supposed to help you talk things out with your ex to agree on how different things get separated and how time gets shared with the children between yourself and your ex. Most mediation sessions turn out exceptionally well because both parties are often looking to resolve previous issues while avoiding a lengthy and costly courtroom battle that involves a judge. You do not have to do a bunch of talking during the session because your lawyer will handle this process for you. However, if you do want to speak about certain things, you can calmly do so.

The priority of a divorce lawyer is to assist a client with getting through their divorce. The lawyer realizes that you are going through something that will change your life and make things much different for your children. The divorce lawyer wants to provide enough assistance to help you retain a sense of normalcy while you make important decisions and come to an ideal agreement with your ex. If you are ready to file for divorce because you want out of the marriage, be sure to hire a divorce lawyer instead of trying to get through this legal situation alone.

Reach out to a law firm like Katzman Logan Halper & Bennett for more information.