If you don’t know really what your priorities are, you won’t know what to ask for – and what to fight for, if necessary – and what you can live without. Saying “I want it all!” is useful neither to you nor your lawyer. Use this worksheet to help you identify your priorities before entering into serious negotiations, and share this information with your lawyer. If you need more space, copy this worksheet onto separate pages of a legal or letter- sized pad; use the top half of each page to list your priorities, and the bottom half to list your spouse’s. Add or delete items to suit your individual case.
Property division
My priorities are:
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My spouse’s priorities are:
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Finances (spousal support, division of assets and debts)
My priorities are:
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My spouse’s priorities are:
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Children (support, custody, visitation)
My priorities are:
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My spouse’s priorities are:
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NOTE: if you and your spouse don’t agree on custody, write down why you feel your custody arrangements are reasonable and in your children’s best interest, and why your spouse’s aren’t.
A Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™ (CDFA™) can help you to understand: the difference between personal vs. marital property; the general rules for how property is valued and divided during divorce; retirement and pension issues; how spousal and child support work; splitting the house; tax problems and solutions; and which settlement to choose. For more information about how CDFAs help, go to InstituteDFA.com.
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