If you've had a difficult break-up, it can be hard to see how you're going to reach an amicable divorce financial settlement. With the help of good legal advice, however, and even professional mediation, you can sort out your finances without having to go to court.

Making divorce less stressful

Going to court to agree a financial settlement in your divorce proceedings can cost you time, money and peace of mind. Divorce is a stressful process and going to court doesn't make it any easier, which is why you should avoid it if you can. Try to put your differences aside for long enough to sort out your finances:

• Find a solicitor – it's important that whatever agreement you come to is written in the appropriate legal language. This helps you to ensure that everything is clearly set out within the bounds of the law so that both you and your partner are treated fairly. A good family law or divorce solicitor will have the legal knowledge and experience to help you sort out what you're entitled to.

• Meet with your partner – it's always a good idea to arrange a meeting between you and your solicitor and your partner and their solicitor. This gives you a more informal opportunity to look at what's involved in your divorce financial settlement and to talk about the best way to split your assets and your property.

• Prioritise – if you have children, you must sort out how they are going to be cared for and financially supported. This is a priority for you and your partner, and it's important that you agree whether child support will be paid, whether the carer will stay in the family home, and whether any money will be put into trust for the children to access at a later date. You might then need to talk about selling property and dividing other financial assets.

Reaching an agreed financial settlement in a calm and sensible manner will help your divorce process to run more smoothly and reduce the amount of stress that you are under whilst your divorce goes through.

If you need help to get a faster sale for your property because of a divorce, contact us at Discount Property Auction. We're committed to helping you, whatever your circumstances. If you want to sell your home, you can use our dedicated online auction facility, which allows you to upload your property yourself and put it in front of genuine, interested buyers. Call us now on 0800 1313 999 or email admin@discountpropertyauction.co.uk to arrange a valuation today.