Although many furnishes and household items may have sentimental value to their owners, negotiating who gets household goods and personal possessions in a divorce can become very expensive. If a couple wants to pay their attorneys to negotiate possession of items, the costs are going to add up quickly. For household goods and personal items that have nominal value, the cost of paying an attorney to divide them will end up costing more than the items. It is always less expensive if a couple can solve those differences themselves or with the help of a neutral third party. A neutral third party can be a friend, a therapist or mediator. Your divorce attorney may offer you sound advice on how best to navigate and negotiate that conversation.
It helps to make a list of the items that you believe are your personal items, such as gifts given to you or items you had before you were married.
Take steps to preserve any items you are worried might be taken out of the home before a divorce is final. A list with photos can be helpful. You may even want to assign a value to the items to aid you in your negotiations and conversations. Finally, remember that dividing personal items is not the same as dividing assets. Dividing marital assets requires a certain knowledge and understanding of the law.
If you have any questions about dividing personal property and marital assets reach out to our divorce attorney today.
