Most court cases end with settlement. Because the court process takes significant time and money and because there is often a wide range of possible results under the law, settlement helps save money and gives you some control over the end result.

Phase 4: Negotiating Settlement

When deciding how to begin settlement, there are a variety of factors to consider including the personalities of all the parties, the primary concerns of all the parties, the range of possibilities under law, and the savings of a settlement over a trial. Negotiations can be an art form. Do you start by meeting in the middle to try to end right away or do you start by just giving in a little to see if the other side is willing to move at all? Should the settlement explain the reason for the proposal or just cut to the chase? Settlement is a process and often takes multiple rounds to reach a final result. There is no right or wrong way to negotiate, but experience helps.

If you start settlement too soon, you may not know if you are reaching a fair result. Once you have completed substantial discovery, it is time to discuss your ideas and your attorneys recommendations. If you have a proposal in mind or need advice on an offer that’s been given to you, schedule a complimentary consultation with us so you can understand how the offer and decide the next steps.

If you have children, see our separate series on the Anatomy of a Custody Case.

Please contact the Family Law attorneys at Bruning & Associates, P.C. at 815-455-3000 to schedule your complimentary consultation to discuss your divorce case.

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