In a negotiated settlement, the husband and wife deal with each other face-to-face, and they make up their own way without a paid filing paperwork, and if the couple decide to go pro se, not even that.

Couples who can come to agreement on their own are also much more likely to have a civil relationship after the divorce. This can make parenting much easier. This form of negotiation is much less expensive than either litigation).

Negotiation between spouses works when both act in uncontested divorce. In negotiation with a find it advantageous to meet in some neutral place that carries no emotional memory.

If after a good faith effort negotiation breaks down, the couple can turn to mediation.

Sometimes in divorce actions, spouses trade off interests that they might otherwise claim to a share of John’s company stock. John and Ginny agreed to this together, without lawyers and even a dollar-and-cents calculation of value. The agreement removed two items from discussion and moved them closer to an agreement they both can live with and one they negotiated together. By doing so, neither John nor Ginny held out for top dollar, but both made life easier for themselves.

In a fair and reasonable.