The institution of marriage is almost as old as civilisation itself. It is the basic building block of human society. A man and woman come together and form a long-standing bond. They live in one house, have children, pool their resources to better their lives and emotionally support and nurture each other. This has been the norm for thousands of years.
In the last few decades, however, the institution of marriage has got shaken up quite a bit. It has lost much of its sanctity. As women became liberated economically and socially and more emphasis was given on individual rights and aspirations, divorce rate shot up. In many countries today, almost half of all marriages end in divorce! Partners are increasingly unwilling to continue living in bad marriages and prefer to split and become free individuals.
If you ever have to file for a divorce, it is a good idea to keep it as uncomplicated and free of hassles as possible.
By the time a marriage arrives at the point of divorce, relations between the partners have soured to a considerable degree. Both are itching for revenge and want to humiliate each other through the court proceedings. They file exaggerated claims against each other and try to prolong the process. This has its own drawbacks.
Bitterly contested divorces leave a bad taste in the mouths of everyone. Instead of settling matters and bringing a closure to the relationship, they aggravate feelings of ill-will. For many years, the partners carry a grudge against each other and are unwilling to forgive or forget. In many individuals, this gives rise to a variety of psychological problems later on as the pent-up feelings take their toll.
Fiercely contested divorces are a lawyer’s dream come true. The outcome of the case hinges on their expertise and as they spend days preparing for the defences, their bill can add to a tidy sum as they usually charge by the hour.
Partners who part company after heated court arguments do their children a bad turn. They not only observe the bitter quarrels between the parents, but after the divorce they are deprived of their combined affection and attention because of the cold war between the two.
The mantra of a hassle-free divorce is “keep your anger and disputes to a minimum.” The partners before filing for divorce should sit down and have a frank cool-headed discussion with the aim of arriving at an agreement on all key issues.
Perhaps, the issue that raises the most heat is the division of marital property. Over the years, the partners have usually invested a lot in buying the assets for the family. Their finances merge and it is a painful process to untangle them as they go for a divorce. While the husband claims that he has collected the bulk of the assets from his earnings, the wife argues that she sacrificed a lot by giving up her job to become a full-time housewife to tend to the children. Coming to terms with a fair division of marital property is the key to getting a no-hassle divorce.
Another issue is child custody. Usually, children would want to stay with their mother. The father should be granted liberal visitation rights and access to the children. He should also be involved in their education and visiting their school to attend parent-teaching meetings and other events. Maintenance to the mother and children is another thing that has to be settled between the spouses.
Often, it is not possible for the partners to come to an agreement themselves. In such cases, it is a good idea to seek the services of a trained counsellor or mediator who can assist the partners in coming to a conclusion without a messy court proceeding.
Uncontested divorce where the partners have decided to part company amicably and arrived at a mutual agreement regarding all issues has tremendous benefits. Both the spouses remain on good terms even after divorce. This is very good for children who are not alienated from the divorced parent and continue to have a close bond with him or her.
Lack of animosity helps each partner to bring a closure to their marriage and move on in their lives. There are no pent-up feelings of guilt or anger against each other. Instead, there is an acceptance that marriage was an arrangement that outlived its utility. Also, the partners save a lot of money in legal fees.
There are many companies on the Internet which offer uncontested divorce quickly and cheaply. These have all the legal forms that can be downloaded by the customer, filled in and sent back to the company, which in turn deposits them at the court after making sure that everything is in order.
Once the divorce is granted, the legal papers are posted to the customers, who thus get a divorce without having to stir out of their house. Such online companies specialising in uncontested divorce charge a fraction of the amount billed by the high-street solicitors.
