My question involves a marriage in the state of: Wisconsin
My wife and I have been talking about a trial separation instead of jumping right to a divorce. We've been married for 17 years and it has been pretty uneventful in all areas of the marriage so I think we both feel like good friends who had a child together. We both agree on joint custody of my daughter including 50/50 placement. We both agree to live and work in the same small town. She says she doesn't even want child support because she makes a good salary. But, I make a little more than her so I think Wisconsin says I have to pay, regardless of whether she wants it or not. Not a big deal, my calculation using the 50/50 placement calculator comes out to about $400 a month.
Anyway, we have a house with about $180,000 in equity. We owe about $40k. We both agree to sell it and split the profits 50/50. I guess my point is, if we both agree on all of these things, can't we just meet with a lawyer to get it all legally blessed, signed, and completed? It seems too easy. I have a 401k and a pension, but so does she, from the same company! If we both agree that we keep our 401k's and pensions to ourselves, does the whole thing seem rather straight forward and non complicated? And, can we do that if we want to? She says she'd even still want to be friends when all is said and done.
If this works then we can have the best outcome for our situation:
Child gets equal time with both parents, stays at the same school, and sees that parents can separate without destroying everyones world.
Mom and Dad get their own places and own space and if it seems suitable to both parties we just make it an official divorce at some point.
Has anybody had this go as smoothly as it sounds?


