The Kitchen Table Divorce

 

Sometimes couples are able to discuss the important issues in their marital dissolution and resolve things for themselves, without legal intervention.  They both may have a good idea of what their assets are and what they consider a fair division.  So they just sit down at the kitchen table and write it all out.

 

They may also have a clear understanding of the relationship they have with their children and how they want it to be in the future.  Some couples decide they want to share joint legal and physical custody, and one may even purchase a house that is very near to the marital home.  In such cases, the transition for the kids is much smoother and many times they can even walk back and forth between homes.

 

Such cases are not necessarily cases with fewer assets.  Sometimes a couple just has a very realistic, down-to-earth outlook and recognizes that, while they may have grown apart, they are still both good people.

 

This is the ideal situation for what is known as the “kitchen table” divorce.  Of course these couples still need legal assistance in formally preparing the documentation to dissolve their marriage and implement their custody and property agreements.  But the cost is much less than one involving two lawyers in traditional legal process, and the case can be completed more quickly.