Settle Out of Court, With Confidence
You don’t always need an attorney-driven court battle to finish your divorce. This page helps you understand your out-of-court options, choose the path that fits you, and get organized before you spend money you don’t have. You can start with free DIY tools and add coaching or mediation only if and when you need it.
DIY Path (Little or No Money)
You’re willing to follow step-by-step checklists and fill out forms yourself. You want to stay out of court and out of attorney offices as much as possible, and you can be reasonably organized if someone gives you a roadmap.
- Free DIY Divorce Resource Center
- Parenting plan builders & calculators
- Ready-to-print binder tools
DIY + Coaching Support
You’re comfortable doing much of the work yourself, but you don’t want to feel alone. You’d like a neutral guide to sanity-check your ideas, help you understand support ranges, or review your parenting plan before you file.
- One-on-one phone or Zoom sessions
- Document review (non-legal coaching)
- Next-step mapping and priority setting
Full Mediation Path
Communication is tense, but not unsafe. Both of you are at least somewhat willing to talk and compromise if someone keeps things calm and structured. You want a neutral guide to walk you from start to finish.
- Guided sessions focused on solutions
- Issue tracking and realistic options
- Prep for filing a mediated agreement
When DIY May Not Be Enough (Safety First)
DIY tools are about education and preparation. They are not a replacement for safety planning or legal advice. If you’re facing domestic violence, stalking, serious threats, or extreme control over money or access, talk to a domestic violence advocate or attorney about safe options before relying on DIY alone.
Out-of-Court Prep Checklist
No matter which path you choose, these are the foundations that will make everything smoother:
- Know your key dates (marriage, separation, kids’ birthdates).
- Rough list of assets & debts (use the Assets & Debts Organizer).
- Basic income and expense picture (use your Support & Budget tools).
- List of main issues: kids, home, support, debts, “must haves” vs “flexible.”
- Any safety or high-conflict concerns that might affect how you negotiate.
You can work through these using your free DIY tools, then upgrade to coaching or mediation if you get stuck.
Notes for My Binder / Mediator
Use this space to write how you’d like to settle your case out of court, any worries you have, and which path feels right for you today. You can send this to your DIY Binder so it’s ready if you work with a coach, mediator, or facilitator later.
This will add a short “Out-of-Court Prep Summary” section into your Binder preview on this page (if enabled).