How Priorities Change When People Divorce After One, Two or Three Decades of Marriage

Many people want to know whether considerations and priorities change if they plan to divorce after 10, 20, or 30 years of marriage. According to seasoned divorce mediators, while the timing of a divorce does not necessarily make it easier or more difficult, the priorities may differ at different stages

For example, a divorce within the first decade may center on child custody, while a divorce that takes place later in life might involve more complex financial negotiations related to property division and spousal support.

Divorcing After One Decade

At this stage, couples who are ending their marriage should focus more the best interests of their young children. With help from a trusted and experienced child custody mediation expert, they can create a custodial arrangement that is most appropriate for their family. For instance, the mediator will help you consider issues such as:

• What will be your daily schedules after divorce?
• If childcare is required, would it be possible to share a nanny after the split?
• Which parent should take the responsibility of taking the child to their music lessons, tennis practice or another activity?
• How will the vacations with the child work?

Financial priorities related to the child may also have to be considered. A divorce mediator will help both co-parents address and resolve the issue of how much child support would have to be paid to the custodial parent and for how long.

Divorcing After Two Decades

At this stage, while a parenting plan may still be required if the kids are minor, the focus may shift more towards their living costs, college tuition, and financial security. Since the length of marriage affects the amount and duration of spousal support, it would become an important issue at this stage to resolve with the help and guidance from a knowledgeable alimony mediation expert.

The mediator will help both sides see whether the lesser earning spouse sacrificed career opportunities for the sake of family and in the process became more financially dependent on the higher earning partner. At the 20-year mark, the stakes in the marriage are also usually higher in terms of assets and debts. A divorce mediator can facilitate both spouses to fairly distribute the marital property to help ensure their post-divorce financial security.

Divorcing After Three Decades

In the experience of seasoned divorce mediators, retirement issues often take the centerstage in divorce discussions after 30 years. For some people, it may become necessary to delay the retirement in order to meet spousal support obligations or rebuild retirement funds following their distribution as a marital asset in the divorce.

Dividing the retirement funds, marital home, cars and other properties, life insurance policies, and business assets are some of the more complex areas of focus in a divorce after 30 years. A mediator with expertise in high net worth divorce negotiations can assist both spouses to arrive at a swift and fair resolution of these issues.

Choose the Trusted Divorce Mediation Experts

At Advanced Mediation Solutions, we can provide you and your ex-spouse the best guidance and support regarding all issues pertinent to your divorce. To set up your free and confidential consultation with our divorce mediators, call us today at 856-669-7172 or contact us online.