For any divorce agreement, there is certain information to gather. Some of these items may include:
- Marital Assets
- Marital Debts
- Household Budgets
- Budgets for Children
- Marital Home Worth
- 401K, IRA’s and Savings Accounts
The Mediator will provide a template and a checklist for the couple to use when gathering information. We will also make sure the homework and information gathering is shared between the two individuals. We understand that in many cases one spouse or the other will have access to information and accounts and we will take that into consideration when assigning homework.
It is important to note this step may be painful for the spouse who has not initiated the divorce as they are having to experience something before they are mentally ready. Both parties need to be understanding of these emotions.
The homework phase of mediation sets the stage for transparent discussion. In a transparent discussion, we can effectively diminish feelings of paranoia and this is important for both sides as well as the children involved.
The final piece of homework gathering is for the couple to begin on their parenting plan. Your Mediator will provide you with tools and resources to help you make the right decisions.