Renegotiate an agreement with your spouse through an informal settlement process. Outline both your shared and individual responsibilities with regard to property, alimony and child support. Share these responsibilities equally or by considering factors such as your incomes, your ability to support the child and to pay alimony. Consult your attorney for advice and guidance before signing the final agreement.
Apply for mediation if an informal negotiation between you and your spouse is not possible. Find a local professional family law mediator through the Academy of Family Mediators. If you cannot afford to hire a mediator, request your local family court to provide you with mediation services to solve settlement disputes. Identify the settlement concerns that need to be solved and the mediator will provide you with information on equitable ways to compromise and solve your specific problems.
Find a collaborative lawyer to help you solve the settlement dispute without going to court. Apply for the collaborative dispute settlement process through bodies such as the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. Present all the necessary documents, communicate your concerns to the team and compromise on the settlement issues. Take into consideration the cost of applying for this option; collaborative practice involves a team of child specialists, lawyers, coaches, therapists and arbitrators.
Go to court as a last resort to resolving a settlement dispute. File a petition with your local family court seeking to enforce or modify disputed aspects of the divorce settlement. Indicate the contentious claims, and what you want the court to modify or award you. Attend the hearing after the court has received a formal response to the petition from the other party. Note that this process is extensive and you are not guaranteed a suitable settlement.