
Making a Wish List
Once there is an agreed upon master list of your assets and liabilities, you and your spouse should make a wish list. The list should set forth the items that each of you want to retain and is a great way to begin narrowing down the items in dispute.
Be smart about the wish list. It should be reasonable and equitable in order to develop into a workable settlement agreement.
Preparing an Agreement
An agreement can be prepared relatively quickly, provided you and your spouse have disclosed all income numbers, identified all assets and liabilities and have created a realistic wish list. A few last minute points when preparing a divorce agreement are:
1. Ensure that no items are left out of the settlement agreement document. br> 2. All issues should be fully resolved, including details on specific payments (such as alimony or child support), distributions (such as equity in the home and furniture) and division of accounts and debts.
3. Include easily identifiable dates upon which each party shall make payments and/or transfer assets to the other or close accounts, including credit card accounts.
4. The agreement should include detailed explanations so that anyone reviewing the agreement in the future can quickly and easily understand all rights and responsibilities for you and your spouse.
5. Do not forget to recognize tax ramifications, exemptions and benefits.
6. Make certain to address all life, health and automobile insurance related responsibilities.
7. If children are involved, consider including payment arrangements for camps, child care and education.
Just because your divorce is amicable, each of you should still hire an experienced attorney who specializes in divorce and family law, preferably a New Jersey (NJ)Certified Matrimonial Attorney, to help ensure that your rights are protected. If you try to handle our own divorce, you may overlook certain issues in the agreement. This can open the door for problems to arise in the future causing you additional legal fees down the road.
For more information about New Jersey divorce and family law related matters or to download a free copy of my divorce guide, visit my web-site at
About the Author
Attorney Bari Weinberger is the Associate Author of the book New Jersey Family Law Practice, utilized by virtually every NJ family law attorney. She also served as child custody new jersey lawyer for domestic violence nj, nj restraining order
Divorce Lawyer Middlesex County New Jersey