General

You and your partner have decided to split up. You want to resolve all those practical issues following the breakdown of your relationship for once and for all. Who will live where? With whom will the children live? How will your assets be divided? To answer those questions you are looking for an expert who can help and advise you. Whether you want to hire a lawyer or a divorce mediator, the Vereniging van Familierecht Advocaten Scheidingsbemiddelaars (vFAS) [Association of Family Lawyers Divorce Mediators] has the knowledge and experience you are looking for. The members of the vFAS are specialised lawyers who will inform you about your legal options and will help you resolve your questions.

Divorce mediation or two lawyers?
Once you have decided to file for divorce, you will hire a lawyer. You now have two choices:

Mediation
Both you and your partner hire the same lawyer: the so-called divorce mediator. During the mediation sessions with this lawyer you try to reach an agreement on arrangements. This lawyer will counsel you on legal matters, while at the same time providing relational and emotional counselling. This means processing and developing a new communication model. The divorce mediator – as an impartial but concerned third party – represents the interests of both parties. Would you like to know the advantages of this form of mediation and how it works? Visit our website at www.verenigingfas.nl. Here you can order a copy on-line of our detailed brochure ‘How to divorce as friends’. The vFAS has also published a book entitled ‘Getting apart together’. This publication has been written by several experienced vFAS-lawyers/divorce mediators. It describes the experiences of people who have gone through divorce and answers frequently asked questions about divorce and divorce mediation. ‘Getting apart together’ also discusses the legal aspects of divorce. This special vFAS-edition is available from your bookseller. More information can be found under ‘publications’.

No mediation
Is it impossible – or undesirable – to bring the divorce to a good conclusion through mediation? In that case you and your partner each hire a lawyer. This is called ‘a defended divorce’. You and your lawyer discuss how you would like the situation to be after the divorce. Your lawyer then contacts your partner’s lawyer to discuss how agreement could be reached.