Ideally, you will settle your New Hampshire divorce case in as little time as possible. However, your spouse may decide that he or she won’t negotiate in good faith or isn’t interested in coming to an agreement outside of court. In such a scenario, it may be necessary to pursue divorce litigation.
Why you want to settle outside of court
As a general rule, settling a divorce outside of court costs less money and has less of an impact on your mental health. If you have children, settling a divorce through mediation may make the divorce process easier on them as well. Finally, coming to an agreement without the help of a judge means that you remain in control of what the final settlement looks like.
The potential pitfalls of a divorce trial
Generally speaking, you will be on call throughout the entirety of a divorce trial. This may mean that you have to step out of meetings to answer a phone call from your attorney or cut your lunch period short to answer an email. Furthermore, you will likely need to appear in court multiple times to give statements or conduct other official business. This may mean that you will have to take time off of work or find someone to watch your children while you testify. In some cases, your children may be asked to testify as part of the proceeding.
While going to trial may seem like an easy way to overcome stalemates that might arise during divorce settlement talks, this is not necessarily the case. If you are working with a mediator, that person might be able to help you and your spouse communicate in good faith. A legal representative may also be able to provide guidance during the divorce settlement process.
