Divorce can potentially be one of the most stressful and emotional times of a person's life. Even if there are no issues to be worked out between the spouses, ending a marriage is difficult proposition, and ideally it should be done as efficiently and painlessly as possible. For many people, it's just a simple division of assets and liabilities. For others, property can include trust funds, pensions, securities and other complex instruments. And there may also be powers of attorney and wills to worry about on top of everything else.
One of the keys to a smooth divorce is drafting a thorough property settlement agreement (PSA). Be sure to include every single asset and liability, no matter how seemingly insignificant, because any issue can delay proceedings and may require an ultimately unnecessary court appearance or two. Even if you're going pro se, and if you have the means, have an attorney look over it before signing. Online law firms are growing in number, and many offer low-cost, flat-fee consultation and document review.
In short, make sure the PSA is as detailed as possible. People often complain that lawyers are overly wordy in their language (the so-called "fine print"), but this is to make sure there are no questions about what is in the document. In this case, it could save you time and money.
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