Making the Decision to Divorce: the House and Valuation of Marital Assets

When you make the decision to divorce, the house in which you live becomes part of a potential settlement. Those couples who have an amicable divorce are able to negotiate with one another, but this is not the way it usually works. In most cases only one of the parties wants the divorce and the house becomes a point of contention, a way to delay the inevitable. Sometimes the idea is if they can delay the divorce and house distribution the party seeking the divorce will change his or her mind. Even if this were to happen a great deal of bitterness would ensue making the home a battleground for every imaginable argument.

Instead of attempting to delay the divorce, the house should become a haven and means of making a quick decision about property valuation and distribution. If each of you contributed to the household prior to the filing of the divorce, the house and its contents will need to be valued prior to a final distribution of assets. If you are able to talk rationally you might choose to come to a mutual agreement before the final divorce decree about the house.

The more decisions you can make mutually the quicker things will flow and the cheaper it will be since lawyers charge by the house, especially when it comes to the ancillaries (property, child support, alimony or spousal support, etc.). Before you make a decision about filing for divorce, talk to an experienced divorce lawyer. You want to make sure things move as smoothly as possible and the house and other marital property are valued properly and distributed equitably.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Christy O’Connor is the founder of Real-Estate-Yogi.com, a site that provides free phone consultations with attorneys and real estate experts. Get your consultation with a divorce lawyer now.